COLUMBUS, Ohio — If an Ohio State football veteran misses the spring with an injury, an underclassman could get a chance.
This year, it did so at a position where the Buckeyes needed to focus on development personnel anyway. Returning starter Lathan Ransom, primary backups Malik Hartford and Jahad Carter, and nickel option Lorenzo Stiles Jr. all limit our outings, with building safety depth the default option. became.
The door was left wide open and Jaden Bonds and Jalen McClain walked through. Bonds, a redshirt freshman, already looked the part at 6-2 and 207 pounds. He started playing regularly this spring, adding security to the depth chart below Ransom and Alabama transfer Caleb Downs.
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McClain was the first freshman of the spring and capped off a solid first few months with an interception in Saturday's spring game. These names could surface further in 2025 and even his 2026. These names also give OSU some much-needed confidence should the worst-case scenario play out behind the defense.
“Bonce is a guy that got a lot of reps, and you could see him growing,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “And McClain is a big plus. He's a guy with football intelligence. He's picked it up. I think he's a player to watch out of the freshmen who should still be in high school. You'll know right away that he's going to be a player.”
Some stepped up in important ways this spring.
CJ Hicks, linebacker
Over the past six weeks, the conversation has shifted from “Will the former five-star prospect be able to play this season?” to “Will he leave the field?” The answer to the latter likely remains yes, as Sonny Styles and Jordan Hancock could join Hicks in a three-man shuffle across several positions. But Hicks looked like a real weapon this spring in a way he couldn't, or couldn't, do when he was Steele Chambers' backup.
With a spring game-high eight tackles and a quarterback rush, he entered the summer with momentum for perhaps the first time in his career.
Luke Montgomery, offensive line
As a result, Montgomery hasn't completely won the starting right guard spot this spring. Maybe he won't win at all. Either way, his second-year trajectory, at worst, still sets him up as the preferred backup this fall. It also could put him on track for a starting role in 2025, when multiple offensive line spots are expected to become available again.
Some of OSU's offensive linemen, who have been pretty talented in recent memory, weren't ready to start at the beginning of their second seasons. But when the call came later that season, they were ready. Whether Montgomery, Tegla Shabola, Carson Hintzman, or anyone else enters preseason camp, there's something to keep in mind.
Jason Moore, defensive tackle
The spring started with the depth of the defensive line more of an unknown than a real concern. Moore made a major shift from theory to reality.
With 1.5 tackles for loss, including a sack, and a quarterback rush in the spring game, Moore's potential as an inside pass-rushing presence literally started hitting this offensive line in the face.
Julian Sain, quarterback
Two separate quarterback conversations unfolded simultaneously. Which is the most efficient, reliable and effective for the starter's job this fall? And which ones are already on track for something special?
Initial conversations seem to focus on Will Howard and Devin Brown based on their usage in the spring game. However, Sane made headlines for his determination and response to Knowles' complex defence.
Last season, the really good quarterback play wasn't up to the program's standards. The search for the special qualities that send the Buckeyes to the Heisman Trophy ceremony each year continues. Ryan Day has already more or less declared Sane's rise to be a problem if not when.
