Ohio State Buckeyes are considered by PFF to have the best secondary

Not only do the Ohio State Buckeyes have top-tier talent in the secondary heading into the 2024 season, they also have significant depth. At cornerback, Denzel Burke, Davison Igbinosun, Jordan Hancock and Jermaine Matthews Jr. lead the group. While those four are expected to get the majority of the defensive reps, Calvin Simpson-Hunt, Lorenzo Styles Jr., Aaron Scott Jr., Bryce West and Miles Lockhart provide ample support in the cornerback room.

At safety, Alabama transfer Caleb Downs and veteran Lathan Ransom are the starters. Malik Hartford, South Carolina transfer Keenan Nelson Jr., Jayden Bonsu and Jaylen McClain will all add depth.

There are a lot of great players that make up this group, and most college football analysts are certain of how good this group could be. Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus recently ranked the Buckeyes No. 1 in his top 10 secondary rankings.

Not only were the Buckeyes ranked No. 1, but they were also the first of five Big Ten schools to make the top 10. The Iowa Hawkeyes were ranked No. 2, even without Cooper DeJean, who is now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Michigan Wolverines are ranked No. 4 with Will Johnson leading them from cornerback. The Oregon Ducks are ranked No. 5 and the Wisconsin Badgers are ranked No. 8. It shows how many defenses in the conference have projected strong secondaries heading into the season.

As for the Ohio State secondary, part of what will help them in games is that they will not face a better wide receiver room than Ohio State’s in Columbus. Every day at practice will be a battle between the wide receivers and secondary. Both units have a chance to push each other to greatness.