Scarlet Sunrise: Ohio State DBs Ronnie Hickman, Cam Brown set to prove value at NFL Combine

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Ohio State DBs Ronnie Hickman, Cam Brown set to prove value at NFL Combine

Eight former Ohio State players are at this year’s pre-draft showcase: quarterback C.J. Stroud, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, offensive tackles Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones, center Luke Wypler, defensive end Zach Harrison, cornerback Cameron Brown and safety Ronnie Hickman.

Hickman and Brown will meet with the media Thursday.

Hickman was a two-year starter for the Buckeyes. In 2021, he became the first Ohio State player to reach 100 tackles in a season in six years. Hickman rounded out this past season with the highest PFF coverage grade (88.9) of his career, allowing 13 receptions and only 107 yards on 30 targets.

Hickman didn’t play his best ball down the stretch, though. Two of his three lowest Pro Football Focus defensive grades in 2022 came against Michigan and Georgia.

Cornerback Cam Brown, on the other hand, battled through injury in 2022. The seasoned Brown played just 317 defensive snaps this past season, according to PFF. That’s 139 fewer snaps than he logged the year before. Brown gave up 17 catches on 31 targets in his final season with the Buckeyes, conceding 17.6 yards per reception, per PFF.

He had strong moments, like when he notched a PBU and allowed only 12 receiving yards while registering a PFF coverage grade of 73.7 in 61 snaps at Maryland. But he also experienced some low points, most notably when he missed a tackle on Michigan wideout Cornelius Johnson, who turned a first down completion into a 69-yard touchdown.

After up-and-down 2022 seasons, both Hickman and Brown could use an impressive NFL Combine to raise their draft stocks. That starts Thursday.

Zach Harrison arrives at NFL Combine with plenty of room to boost draft stock

Former Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison emphasized Wednesday that he’s confident in the on-field portfolio he put together while in Columbus. He made it clear that he’s most focused on acing his team interviews this week.

“I really want to do well in my interviews,” Harrison said. “I’ve played a lot of football at Ohio State so a lot of teams know my athletic profile and what I can do on the field. I just want to let teams know the person I am.”

Harrison, a Buckeyes captain in 2022, led the team in pressures generated with 33, according to Pro Football Focus. He also registered 3.5 sacks, 34 total tackles, 8.0 TFLs, a trio of forced fumbles and an interception.

For the full story on Harrison, go here.

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• Zach Harrison believes Buckeyes returning defensive ends ‘are going to be real dominant’

Ohio State wins second straight, upsets No. 21 Maryland on Senior Night

Ohio State, once losers of 14 of its last 15 games, has now won back-to-back contests, the latest against No. 21 Maryland, which dropped to 1-8 in Big Ten games away from College Park this season. The Buckeyes took down the Terrapins, 73-62, on Senior Night Wednesday.

Fittingly, Ohio State’s graduating players — West Virginia grad transfer Sean McNeil, Oklahoma State grad transfer Isaac Likekele and sixth-year Buckeyes forward Justice Sueing — combined for 37 points.

McNeil knocked down both of his 3-pointers in the first half, Likekele accounted for nine posts and three assists in the opening period alone. Sueing helped seal the double-digit victory with a team-high 13 second-half points.

For more about how Ohio State’s veterans fueled Wednesday’s win at Maryland, go here.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 184 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 268 days

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