Ohio State safety Tanner McCalister quickly sheds black stripe
COLUMBUS — Experience was arguably the single biggest selling point for Tanner McCalister.
He’s wasted no time at Ohio State showing just how much his veteran presence and athleticism can bring to a revamped defense.
The transfer-portal addition from Oklahoma State only needed five spring practices to demonstrate his worth to his new teammates and coaches, quickly becoming the first member of the Buckeyes to shed his black stripe during camp so far.
“Tanner was already a coach on the field, and he’ll be more so here at Ohio State,” new Buckeyes coordinator Jim Knowles said last month. “He’s been with me, we’ve been through the wars together, he understands me. He can talk to other guys if I if I get loud — you know, I can be aggressive when I coach. He can talk to other guys, and he can talk about my style to them.
“He’ll be invaluable.”
The Buckeyes already saw strong hints of that during winter workouts, and McCalister has backed that up in several ways once camp started.
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A key cog in the Knowles system at Oklahoma State, McCalister brings obvious familiarity with the responsibilities at nickel and proven production as a tackler at the Power Five level. But beyond his ability to play and help teach the defense, McCalister’s work ethic and personality has also rubbed off in a hurry on the Buckeyes as he has worked to fit in off the field as well.
That approach has paid off for both Tanner McCalister and Ohio State already. And he has already been officially welcomed into the program as a full-fledge member of the Buckeyes.
