The Ohio State Buckeyes will be losing an important player in their defense, as cornerback Jordan Hancock has decided to enter the NFL Draft.
Before the 2024 college football season, Hancock wasn’t seen as one of Ohio State’s top draft candidates. Most of the attention went to fellow cornerback Denzel Ward.
However, Hancock had a standout season, recording 48 tackles, an interception, a couple of forced fumbles, and eight passes defended.
The 21-year-old also had a strong performance in the College Football Playoff, especially in the Cotton Bowl against Texas, where he made six tackles and defended one pass.
Standing at 6-foot-1, Hancock has the right size for the NFL and can play several roles in the defense. While he may not be picked in the first round, his draft stock has risen recently, and it will be interesting to see where he gets selected in April.
As the passing game becomes more important in the NFL, tall and physical cornerbacks like Hancock are in high demand.
Ohio State will be losing many defenders to the NFL Draft, so they will need to fill these gaps for the 2025 season.
Fortunately, the Buckeyes have a strong recruiting class coming in, so they should be able to recover quickly.
Ohio State just won its first national championship in ten years, with a major part of their success being their top-ranked defense.
