Ohio State coach praises this former star recruit despite benching and transfer speculation
Ohio State linebacker C.J. Hicks hasn't seen his 2024 season go as planned through two games. The former 5-star prospect, ranked 10th overall in his class, came to the Buckeyes after a two-year commitment in high school. He competed for the starting outside linebacker job in training camp but lost out to Sonny Styles. No […]
Ohio State linebacker C.J. Hicks hasn't seen his 2024 season go as planned through two games. The former 5-star prospect, ranked 10th overall in his class, came to the Buckeyes after a two-year commitment in high school. He competed for the starting outside linebacker job in training camp but lost out to Sonny Styles.
No problem, thought the Buckeyes. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said Hicks would rotate in with Styles on passing downs, and both could co-exist. But after two games, there's been more speculation about whether Hicks could transfer after 2024 than his impact on the team.
Despite logging a sack against Akron, Hicks has lost playing time to sophomore Arvell Reese. Reese is now the more intriguing backup linebacker, but Knowles offered praise for Hicks as his role has shifted.
“Arvell has made tremendous improvements since he's arrived here. You're seeing him play fast. He's got tremendous physical tools,” Knowles said Tuesday. “For a linebacker, it's just a matter of knowing what to do and not having to think about it. So what you're seeing out of Arvell now is he's understanding where all the pieces go and he's able to play fast without thinking.”
The focal point has shifted to what the remainder of Hicks' junior season might hold.
When Hicks joined Ohio State as the No. 7 overall prospect in the 2022 recruitment class, it was widely anticipated that he would swiftly become a significant contributor to the Buckeyes.
However, across his initial two seasons at Columbus, notably all in 2023, he only participated in 75 defensive plays, during which he amassed eight tackles, including one for a loss.
In just two games this year, Hicks has already equaled those figures in 49 plays. Yet, among Buckeyes who have taken part in over 10 defensive snaps, he currently stands as the lowest-rated defender on Pro Football Focus, holding an overall rating of 49.
Simon, Styles, and Reese have clearly emerged as Ohio State's leading trio of linebackers based on their performance up to this point in the season. Meanwhile, Gabe Powers, who is in his third year with the Buckeyes like Hicks and Styles, is vying for increased participation. He has made quite an impression in limited playtime, achieving three tackles and scoring a touchdown off an interception in just 10 defensive plays.
Ahead of the 2023 season, Knowles contemplated deploying Hicks in the Jack role, a hybrid linebacker/defensive end position that played a crucial role in his first defense strategy for Ohio State in 2022, which was later discontinued. Knowles believes Hicks excels in situations where he is blitzing or being explicitly directed, indicating that a positional change that lets Hicks leverage his downhill play might still be considered.
“We haven't discussed that because C.J. is still developing very well and he's considered very much a part of that mix with those guys at linebacker,” Knowles said. “But I've said it before, it's always in the back of my mind because I think he has those gifts and tools to be able to do something like that. So it's nothing we've really discussed, but it's always there for me because I know it may come into play at some point.
As it stands, however, Ohio State is in greater need of Hicks to bolster linebacker depth than to serve as an edge rusher. This is considering the Buckeyes' current depth at defensive end, which includes Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Caden Curry, Kenyatta Jackson Jr., and Mitchell Melton, leaving Knowles with no immediate intention to shift Hicks' role despite seeing potential in him as an impactful edge player.
“We need C.J. right now to play linebacker,” Day said Tuesday. “We need to find a consistency there that we believe that he can do at linebacker. And although we have a few guys already, he needs to be part of that group, because if you're playing with three linebackers in a game, all it takes is one injury and you're right in the middle of it. And we know this is a long season, so he has to improve. He's got to continue to grow.
Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis of THE Podcast speculated on whether this uncertainty could lead to a transfer for Hicks. A dynamic athlete who was one of the nation's top targets will be able to choose his next destination should he go in that direction. While transitioning to a pass-rusher offers some upside, as we've seen Baron Browning make the most of it in the NFL after a so-so career in Columbus, that's a huge late-career ask for someone who can simply start elsewhere.
It would be a disappointing end for Hicks' tenure, given his talent and upside. But it's the reality of being Ohio State. Sometimes, you lose darn good players who didn't ascend to stardom by Year 3. Knowles' praise of Hicks is valid, but he has to give him more snaps soon if he's going to have a reason to stay beyond 2024.
