Cornerbacks
Denzel Ward (2015-2017)
Marshon Lattimore (2014-2016)
Jeff Okudah (2017-2019)
Okay, maybe we’re cheating here a little bit, but we think the cornerback position at Ohio State was a little more talented and deeper than the safety position. Also, since the Buckeyes have gone more to a one-high safety attack, we’re following suit and picking three corners. Find me a better lockdown unit than the trio of Ward, Lattimore, and Okudah over the last decade from any program, and I’ll argue against it all day. All three guys went (or will go, in the case of Okudah) in the first round of the NFL draft after becoming big-time players in Columbus.
Safety
Malik Hooker
Malik Hooker was a one-year wonder, but what a year it was. You won’t find a more athletic safety that can erase things on the back-end like the 6-1, 214 lb. dart of a player. He flashed on the scene so brightly that he was a consensus All-American in 2016 with seven interceptions and numerous big-play, pass-breakups. That one year was for the ages and is one of the best in Ohio State history.
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