Ohio State’s roster takes a real hit with 2 contributors expected to redshirt this season for the Buckeyes
Not great news for the Buckeyes coming out of the weekend.
Ohio State picked up win No. 5 on the season over the weekend by blowing out Minnesota, 42-3. The Buckeyes are now 5-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play with a road game against Illinois ahead of them this week. Against the Golden Gophers, Ohio State put on a complete four-quarter showing for its second night game of the season. However, the game didn’t bring all good news to the Buckeyes.
Ohio State set to have 2 key contributors redshirt this season
According to Eleven Warriors, there were two Buckeyes who didn’t have their helmets on the sideline against Minnesota, and it was for a reason. It is expected that LB C.J. Hicks and S Malik Hartford will both be redshirting this season for the Buckeyes. Both players are on the two-deep at Ohio State, so this will come as a surprise to some.
Hicks is in his fifth year with the Buckeyes and his first season as a pass rusher after making the switch from linebacker. The Ohio native has played in five games for the Buckeyes so far this season and has six tackles during that time.
Hicks is a former five-star prospect who never found his footing at linebacker in Columbus, but is now buried on the depth chart as a pass rusher. Ohio State could lose Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson to the NFL after this season, so staying in Columbus could give Hicks a shot at legit playing time next season. Beau Atkinson and true freshman Zion Grady will be even more key for the Buckeyes as pass rusher depth.
Hartford is a junior and battled for the job opposite of Caleb Downs with Jaylen McClain during fall camp. McClain ended up winning that job, and Ohio State doesn’t rotate a ton on defense, so he’s only played special teams in two of the four games he’s played in. If Hartford opts to stay at Ohio State, he will have a chance to battle for the starting job opposite McClain next season.
Things can change with injuries or poor play and the redshirts may not end up being used. For now, it appears the Buckeyes have lost some quality depth for at least the regular season. Both players will be eligible to play on the College Football Playoff while keeping their redshirts intact.
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