Scarlet Sunrise: Recapping everything we learned from 'Safeties Week'

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Recapping everything we learned from ‘Safeties Week’

Jim Knowles still runs a 4-2-5 defense, but his system isn’t the quite the same as when he arrived at Ohio State ahead of the 2022 season. Last year, he ditched the feast-or-famine approach that he needed at Oklahoma State, pulling back on some of his scheme tricks — notably no longer using the hybrid, standup defensive end/linebacker “JACK” position — and instead maximizing the speed of Buckeyes defenders. And Knowles adapted what was once a “safety-driven defense,” with three safeties rounding out the back end, to become a unit with two starting safeties, plus a “nickel” cornerback.

Opening up the possibility of a corner playing in the slot did wonders for the Buckeyes, who saw Jordan Hancock blossom in that role, so much so that he turned himself into an NFL prospect in the back half of the 2023 campaign.

In the process, the safety room lost a spot on the field. It also lost a collection of players to graduation and the transfer portal this offseason. Josh Proctor exhausted his college eligibility. Ja’Had Carter, Cedrick Hawkins Jr., Kye Stokes and Cameron Martinez transferred.

Plus, Sonny Styles moved down to linebacker.

Oh, and head coach Ryan Day didn’t retain safeties coach Perry Eliano. Instead, the Buckeyes brought back Matt Guerrieri — who served as a senior analyst and advisor to the Ohio State defense in 2022 — to head up the position.

So a lot changed, but a lot changed for the better. Like the addition of Alabama transfer Caleb Downs, who’s move turned heads nationally and gave the Buckeyes arguably the best safety in college football right now.

THE BASICS

We outlined the measurables of Ohio State’s scholarship safeties, in addition to where each of them went to high school, what recruiting ranking they received, who they picked the Buckeyes over and their biggest strength, among other things.

Then we mapped out the career path of each Buckeyes player at the position, starting with the returning safeties and then rolling out a player-by-player preview of the new safeties in town. Lathan Ransom headlines the returners, as he’s in the fold for his fifth and final season with the program after working his way back from his second serious injury of his collegiate career. Downs is at the top of the newcomers list, except he might already be the best player on the team considering his second-team AP All-American honors he earned last year at Alabama as well as his elite work ethic and preparation skills.

READ: Tale of the Tape: Knowing the basics of Buckeyes safeties
READ: How they got here: Mapping out career path of each returning Buckeyes safety
READ: How they got here: Mapping out career path of each new Buckeyes safety

LATHAN RANSOM BACK TO TAKE ONE MORE CRACK AT MICHIGAN, NATIONAL TITLE

There’s a world in which the 2023 season was Ransom’s last at Ohio State — then again, you could say that for several of the Buckeyes’ veterans who are back for the 2024 campaign, especially those on the defensive side of the ball. Nevertheless, Ransom decided to return to get one more chance at a pair of “Gold Pants” and, of course, to take one more swing at a national championship.

He missed the final five games last year with a Lisfranc injury in his left foot. At the time of his injury, Ransom ranked fourth on the team with 34 total tackles. He had shaved his missed tackle rate down to 15.6%, according to Pro Football Focus, and he had given up only six receptions for 47 yards on 16 targets, per PFF. Ransom built on his breakthrough 2022 season, which saw him emerge as a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the best defensive back in the country. He earned that honor after recovering from a broken leg he suffered on kickoff coverage in the Rose Bowl the season prior. He’s trying to bounce back from another serious injury, this time with alongside Downs in the secondary.

READ: Battle-tested Lathan Ransom back to take one more crack at Michigan, national title

WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT FROM CALEB DOWNS AT OHIO STATE?

Downs is a star. He’s not far away from becoming a superstar — not that he’ll lean into the limelight. After all, the Hoschton, Georgia, native is all ball.

“His preparation’s so high level, it challenges you as a coach to be an elite teacher,” Guerrieri said this spring. “He’s going to be on his game. It’s like coaching a professional player. He understands the concept of the game so well. He’s put so much time into it. As a coach, you better be matching or equaling that or going above and beyond that.

“If not, he’s going to be a step ahead of the coach.”

Downs has high football intelligence. If he makes a mistake, he corrects it quickly. He already knows the defense. And his athleticism allows him to play anywhere, even on offense if you ask Day or offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

READ: What should we expect from Caleb Downs at Ohio State?
READ: Breaking down PFF stats to know about Ohio State safeties

JAYDEN BONSU AND JAYLEN McCLAIN STEPPED UP IN THIN SAFETY ROOM THIS OFFSEASON

At one point or another this spring, the Buckeyes were missing Malik Hartford, Ja’Had Carter and even Lathan Ransom, who was a limited participant in March and April while completing his recovery from his Lisfranc injury last season. Plus, Lorenzo Styles Jr., a cornerback who plays the corner/safety hybrid “nickel” position, wound up sidelined. That gave underclassmen like redshirt freshman Jayden Bonsu and true freshman Jaylen McClain a chance to step up. The Jersey natives did just that.

Bonsu got first-team reps at strong safety while Downs played up top. “He’s been a guy that’s been on the rise,” Guerrieri said of Bonsu back in April. Bonsu totaled five tackles, including three solos, in the spring game. In that exhibition, McClain picked off his classmate, fast-rising quarterback Julian Sayin, and might have returned the interception to the house had Ohio State not been playing to “thud.” McClain made a good first impression in his first months with the Buckeyes, largely because of his attitude and effort. He finds a way to get to the ball, repeatedly.

READ: Ohio State safety Jaylen McClain making good first impression with never-give-up mentality
READ: Projecting depth chart for Buckeyes safety room

Full coverage of ‘Safeties Week’ at Lettermen Row

READ: Five questions for Buckeyes loaded safety room
READ: Tale of the Tape: Knowing the basics of Buckeyes safeties
READ: How they got here: Mapping out career path of each returning Buckeyes safety
READ: How they got here: Mapping out career path of each new Buckeyes safety
READ: Projecting depth chart for Buckeyes safety room
READ: Analyzing 2026 Ohio State safety offers, standing with Buckeyes
READ: Battle-tested Lathan Ransom back to take one more crack at Michigan, national title
READ: Ohio State safety Jaylen McClain making good first impression with never-give-up mentality
READ: What should we expect from Caleb Downs at Ohio State?
READ: Five best passing attacks Buckeyes secondary will face this season
READ: Breaking down PFF stats to know about Ohio State safeties
READ: Looking back at how Malik Hartford hit ground running, then grew in first year with Buckeyes
READ: Three big predictions for Buckeyes star-studded safety room
READ: Best-case, worst-case scenario for Buckeyes safety room

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 47 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 138 days

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