Tag: Lathan Ransom

Which Ohio State football players earned Buckeye leaves against Notre Dame

Which Buckeyes stood out to you? #GoBucks

It was one dramatic Saturday evening for Ohio State football, as they battled the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and outlasted them for a 17-14 road victory.

The Buckeyes had a game winning 15-play, 65-yard touchdown drive, leaving the Irish with just one second left to try to scramble for a victory. It was snuffed out and elation ensued from the Ohio State sidelines.

Some of those helmets flying around will be adding more of the famed Buckeye leaf stickers before we see them next in the longest two weeks ever. These are the players that I think will have a lot more of their helmet covered up.

Ohio State football issues availability report for Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Ohio State football issues availability report for Notre Dame Fighting Irish #GoBucks

The fine folks with the Ohio State Football team have issued the availability report for the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Ohio State looks like it is at its healthiest we have seen it all season. There is only one concerning name listed on the injury report and that is safety, Cameron Martinez.

Martinez is listed as out for the contest against Notre Dame and he is the only name listed on the report that sees significant action. Another safety, Latahn Ransom was listed on the report last week, but continued to play regardless and was fully removed from the report for the Fighting Irish. the following is the report in its entirety:

OUT

  • WR Kiyon Grayes
  • TE Zak Herbstreit
  • SAF Cam Martinez
  • DE/LB Arvell Reese
  • DT Will Smith Jr.
  • WR Reis Stocksdale
  • SAF Kourt Williams II

It is extremely comforting to see the Buckeyes at relatively full health for their biggest contest of the season thus far.

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Ohio State football issues availability report for Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Ohio State football issues availability report for Western Kentucky Hilltoppers #GoBucks

The fine folks with the Ohio State Football team have issued the availability report for the game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and it looks fairly similar to what we saw last week against the Youngstown State Penguins, but the safeties have rotated. Last week Josh Proctor was listed as questionable and did not play and this week Lathan Ransom is listed as questionable.

With this contest being the last one before the season kicks into high gear and Notre Dame on the horizon, it may be in the best interest of the Buckeyes to keep Ransom on the sideline. Ransom played every snap on the defensive side of the ball the last two weeks, but this could be an opportunity to evaluate the depth behind him. The report is listed as follows:

QUESTIONABLE

  • SAF Lathan Ransom
OUT
  • WR Kiyon Grayes
  • TE Zak Herbstreit
  • LB/DE Arvell Reese
  • DT Will Smith Jr.
  • WR Reis Stocksdale
  • SAF Kourt Williams II

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Multiple Ohio State football players on Mel Kiper’s latest big board

No surprise at the top, but behind that it is #GoBucks

It’s been a slow start for [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag], and it seems like some analysts are a bit down on the Buckeyes.

Prior to the season, it wasn’t uncommon to have seen up to five OSU player’s getting projected to be selected early in the [autotag]NFL draft[/autotag]. Now, ESPN’s Mel Kiper has updated this 2024 NFL big board (subscription required) and only two Bucks made it into his top 25.

The good news is that there were multiple players in his positional top five, so it’s not all bad. Find out below which Ohio State football players are among the top NFL prospects in the country.

Ohio State defensive player-by-player PFF grades for Indiana game

We know the defense shined with the eye test on Saturday, but how did it grade out according to Pro Football Focus? #GoBucks

The season kicked off for Ohio State on Saturday afternoon with a 23-3 victory over Indiana. The performance left Buckeyes fans very satisfied with what they saw from the defense. The offense — not so much.

On Indiana’s nine drives, it kicked just one field goal, punted six times and turned the ball over on downs twice. The Buckeyes defended the run and pass very well, limiting the Hoosiers to 2.2 yards per rush and allowing  9-of-20 completed passes passes for 82 yards.

It was a great performance from a unit that was expected to improve under second-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, especially with a great deal of talent returning across the defense.

We break down each offensive position group’s performance using Pro Football Focus grades for each player. Though not the ultimate measuring stick, PFF is a good tool because it gradse every player on every play.

Ohio State football starts Josh Proctor at free safety against Indiana

The Buckeyes have made their choice at safety #GoBucks

Coming into Week 1 most of the starters for [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] were set, but the starting free safety spot was still up for grabs.

True freshman [autotag]Malik Hartford[/autotag], Syracuse transfer [autotag]Ja’Had Carter[/autotag] and sixth year veteran [autotag]Josh Proctor[/autotag] were options to start. All three were expected to play against Indiana.

Well, that question has been answered. Proctor was on the field for the Buckeyes’ first defensive series of the game.

The senior has a great deal of experience for the Buckeyes. He was a starter on the 2020 team that went to the national title game and entered 2021 as a starter but his season ended with a leg injury in Week 2.

Last season he started four of first five games of the season before seeing his role get diminished with [autotag]Ronnie Hickman[/autotag], [autotag]Lathan Ransom[/autotag] and [autotag]Tanner McCalister[/autotag] getting the majority of the snaps at safety.

Proctor is playing well. He has a tackle for loss on each of Indiana’s first two drives, but I expect Hartford and Carter to also get snaps. The free safety starting job could remain a question mark throughout the beginning stage of the season.

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Two Ohio State defensive backs make Tim Thorpe preseason watch list

Two OSU defensive backs are on the Jim Thorpe award preseason watch list. #GoBucks

It’s no secret the back end of the defense was an issue for Ohio State last season, especially when it comes to giving up big plays against the best teams on the schedule.

That figures to be different this season with more depth, some reinforcements via the transfer portal, and a second year in the Jim Knowles’ defense. But don’t take it just from us because the folks that hand out the Jim Thorpe Award seem to agree, naming two OSU defensive backs on the 2023 preseason watch list.

Cornerback Denzel Burke and safety Lathan Ransom were among 35 names identified as players to watch by the screening committee because of their performance last year in addition to expectations for this season. The Thorpe has been around since 1987 and recognizes the best defensive back in the country yearly.

Two Ohio State players have won the award with Antoine Winfield receiving the honor in 1998 and Malcolm Jenkins winning it ten years later in 2008.

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Three Ohio State players on the Bronko Nagurski watch list

In case you missed it, three Buckeyes appeared on the 2023 Bronko Nagurski watch list. #GoBucks

We continue the march of the college football preseason watch lists with the announcement for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy that goes to the best defensive player in the country annually. The first installment of the trophy was handed out in 1993 by the Football Writers Association of America and has continued ever since.

Of the 94 names appearing on the 2023 watch list, three of them are Ohio State players. Defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, and safety Lathan Ransom — three of OSU’s seasoned leaders — were all recognized.

It says a lot that all three of these guys represent three different spots on the football field. If each has a season as everyone expects, that would mean a pretty special player on the defensive line, middle of the field at linebacker, and on the back end.

There have been two Ohio State players take the award home. Linebacker James Laurinaitis did it in 2006, and game-wrecking edge rusher, Chase Young, took the award home in 2019. We’ll continue to keep you up to speed on all the Buckeyes that make these preseason watch lists.

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Check out where Ohio State lands on Phil Steele’s defensive position group rankings

Not bad, but are folks sleeping on how good this OSU defense can be? #GoBucks

Phil Steele recently released his yearly college football preview magazine with the season about a month and a half away.

Steele provides in-depth previews for all Football Bowl Subdivision teams and one of the best components of his magazines are his top 65 position group rankings. For defense, he ranks where each team’s unit falls for defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs.

The Buckeyes’ defense the last few seasons hasn’t necessarily been bad but hasn’t quite performed to the standard needed for the team to achieve what it’s capable of.

The unit has struggled in particular against top-tier teams and has been the reason Ohio State lost some big games in recent years. The unit gave up 42 points in each of the Michigan losses the last two seasons, 35 points against Oregon, and 42 points against Georgia in the College Football Playoff semi-final matchup in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

It’s defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ second season, and, with highly touted recruits due for breakout seasons, the defense projects to improve. The question will be how consistent it’ll be and if it shows up in big games.

Steele ranked the Buckeyes in the top 12 in college football in each of the three defensive position groups. Here’s where OSU landed.

Tyvis Powell and Lathan Ransom discuss Buckeye tradition and best safeties in OSU history

More “Tradition Talk” from the Ohio State football team. #GoBucks

If you’ve been paying attention to the Ohio State football Twitter account during the offseason, then we don’t have to tell you that the folks in the creative department have been giving us a series called “Tradition Talk.”

Some of the coaching staff have sat down with current players and others to discuss some of the best players in Buckeye history and to dish on what tradition means to them in Columbus. The latest involves Ohio State safety Lathan Ransom and former defensive back, Tyvis Powell.

If you haven’t seen it, we have the video for you. It’s about 12 minutes long with the two discussing the best safeties in Ohio State history, what tradition means for both, the Michigan game, and more. Check it out below.

We’ll continue to bring you any further “Tradition Talk” videos or other notable social media moments as we continue to build to the start of fall camp and the season.

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