Freshman cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. on Tuesday became the latest Buckeye to shed his black stripe and become an “official” member of the team.
Mathews was a four-star prospect out of Cincinnati Winton Woods, and he was viewed as the top prospect in Ohio for the 2023 recruiting class. He was also the top-ranked defensive prospect that eventually signed with Ohio State, and he enrolled with the Buckeyes in January.
“I thought he had a great year this year, just playing really, really hard for Winton Woods and Coach (Chad Murphy), and I just was really impressed with his ability to go compete every single day,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said in December. “And this is another guy who went through a lot during the recruiting process and fielded a lot of calls. And a lot of people were blowing up that phone. He was loyal to the Buckeyes and I think he’s going to have a great career.”
Mathews was the second Buckeye to lose his black stripe on Tuesday, along with freshman wide receiver Bryson Rodgers, and they join offensive linemen Victor Cutler Jr., Luke Montgomery and Jimmy Simmons, as well as defensive tackle Tywone Malone, who have all lost their black stripes in fall camp.
