The Ohio State Buckeyes lost Clarke Phillips III yesterday, and it may end up hitting them hard as the NFL Draft could take the bulk of their star defensive backs.
All three cornerbacks for Ohio State could head to the NFL after this season, and the Buckeyes could be in trouble if that happens. At the very least, Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette are expected to leave. The secondary will also lose All Big-Ten performers Jordan Fuller at safety to graduation.
Okudah is a projected top-five pick while Arnette may be able to sneak into the first round as well, and will certainly be selected before the draft’s final day.
The wild card for Ohio State is Shaun Wade.
Will the Buckeyes third-string corner leave as well?
Wade, a five-star recruit coming out of high school, is projected as top-50 pick according to USA Today’s Draft Wire. After missing the 2017 season, Wade’s tenure hasn’t been what many had hoped, but the skill is still there, and he’s been coming on. He would be the most talented and experienced pass-defender heading into next season.
Longtime Ohio State 2020 DB commit Clark Phillips III flips to Utah https://t.co/lK9l1DLI8f
— Buckeyes Wire (@BuckeyesWire) December 19, 2019
The loss of the entire back end of the defense could be back-breaking for the team that’d have to figure out their defensive sets without the help of a superstar roaming the field.
With four-star cornerback Ryan Watts inbound and four-star safety Lathan Ransom also coming in, the Buckeyes should have a capable secondary taking the field next season, but it certainly won’t be the same strength we’re currently seeing. There will need to be some development, and likely a lot of growing pains with so much youth.
Guys like Cameron Brown, Amir Riep and Sevyn Banks return and will factor in, but they too will need an offseason of development and seasoning.
Clark Phillips would also be a young one, but it would be one more talented and athletic DB to drop into a competitive situation. That can never hurt. Now Ohio State will need to have a plan for all the losses in the secondary, and it’ll be doing it without Jeff Hafley.