Ohio State coach confirms major suspicion on former five-star recruit making a position switch going forward
Ryan Day and multiple of his Ohio State assistants met with the media on Friday. It was an introductory press conference for multiple coaches who were brought on or promoted. There was a ton of insight handed out in Day’s first press conference in well over a month. The most interesting tidbit may have been […]
Ryan Day and multiple of his Ohio State assistants met with the media on Friday. It was an introductory press conference for multiple coaches who were brought on or promoted.
There was a ton of insight handed out in Day’s first press conference in well over a month.
The most interesting tidbit may have been that a former five-star recruit is officially making a position switch for the Buckeyes. It was trending this way and we saw signs of it last year, but C.J. Hicks will no longer be with the linebackers.
Hicks is now set to be with the pass rushers and goes from being coached by James Laurinaitis to joining Larry Johnson. Last November, it was hinted by former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles that Hicks would be joining the EDGE group.
"C.J. has that talent and that skill," Knowles said. "I think his future is gonna involve a lot more of that."
Following a game against Purdue last season where Hicks had four tackles, he was visibly upset after the game. “They need to put me on the f**king edge,” Hicks told The Podcast’s Austin Ward after the game.
Hicks is entering his senior season with the Buckeyes and has yet to find a starting role with the team. Hicks was the No. 10 overall player in the class of 2022 and the No. 1 linebacker. There were high expectations coming in for Hicks, whose best season was last year with 22 tackles and a pair of sacks.
With J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer off to the NFL, the Buckeyes are replacing a whole lot of experience off of the EDGE. Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson are the two obvious next guys up to replace Tuimoloau and Sawyer. The Buckeyes could be trending toward more of a pass rush by committee, rather than two stars.
Hicks has a chance to step in, along with transfer Logan George, to round out the pass rush for Ohio State. Hicks is an athletic freak off the edge, though he is raw. In limited action rushing the passer next year, Hicks showed promise. Now, he is going to get a chance to firmly plant himself there in 2025.
This is the best chance for Hicks to develop into the player that he has the potential to be, as well as getting to the NFL. Working with Johnson will be beneficial for Hicks, who’s main job is now bringing down the opposing QB.