We’ll forgive you if this went a little under the radar because it was something we didn’t really think was going to happen either. In case you missed the news, safety Josh Proctor decided to return to Ohio State for a sixth season. Proctor can still pull the trigger on an extra year provided to student-athletes because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he has decided to do just that.
The news comes by way of a report on Friday by the Columbus Dispatch (subscription may be required) and should be welcome news for a defense that is safety driven under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Proctor’s career arc has been an interesting and unusual one. He’s dealt with injuries but looked to finally be an integral part of the defense last season. He opened 2022 as the starter at free safety only to be replaced by Lathan Ransom after a poor showing against Notre Dame.
That seemed to shake the confidence the coaching staff had in Proctor and he played sparingly, never really getting an opportunity to get back in the mix. Still, there’s no denying the intriguing potential of such an athletic and rangy player (6 feet, 2 inch, 205 pounds).
Proctor should be in the running with Ransom, Kye Stokes, Sonny Styles, Kourt Williams and Cam Martinez to start or at least be a big part of a rotation on the back end.
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