Ohio State has announced that starting defensive end Jonathon Cooper will take a redshirt year for 2019. Players can take advantage of a new rule that was implemented a couple of years ago and take a redshirt if they only play in four games.
Cooper has been dealing with an ankle injury all year and is still within the four-game timeline and will use that new rule to hopefully come back and get a full, healthy year under his belt. He no doubt had goals for a more productive and instrumental senior season, but he’ll also get a chance to improve his NFL draft stock.
So, on the day in which Ohio State faces its toughest test against Penn State, a little silver lining for what will be a fifth year senior in 2020. He has one more game to burn if he would like, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Buckeyes handle that one.
He was listed as available for Penn State, but you have to wonder if he’d rather play against Michigan or the bowl game. Or maybe, the coaching staff shuts it down in preparation for a big 2020.
#OhioState announces DE Jonathon Cooper, a veteran team leader, will redshirt this season and return for a fifth year in 2020.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 23, 2019