Ohio State’s strong safety position battle is still tightly contested.
Throughout fall camp, Junior Malik Hartford and sophomore Jaylen McClain have competed in a neck-and-neck battle for the Buckeyes’ strong safety spot, and with just two weeks to go before Ohio State’s season opener against No. 1 Texas, the starting job is anything but decided.
Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia said the pair of safeties have pushed each other to elevate their play in camp, adding that both Hartford and McClain have done well with communication and playing different coverages.
“Great competition, back and forth. Both of them have really made great gains, certainly with the communication,” Patricia said. “That’s one of the biggest things in the back end, was tying together the coverage, whether you’re talking to the corners outside, or down to the linebackers in front of you. There’s some things communication wise that are really critical, and both those guys have done a good job.”
Patricia added that he believes both safeties have earned early-season playing time, noting that the long offseason makes it harder to jump into a full game immediately.
“I would expect them both to play and be out there,” Patricia said. “The first game is always tough, too. It’s going to be hot, it’s going to be a lot of plays, a lot of stuff. These guys haven’t played in a while. So, going out there and playing whatever is 70 snaps for an entire game, you got to be smart with that.”
Communication has been a point of emphasis this offseason for the Buckeye safeties throughout fall camp.
Safeties coach Matt Guerrieri said he has preached to Hartford and McClain the importance of commanding the defense, noting that safeties need to communicate with the entire unit because they can see the entire field.
“One of the biggest things to me, as you go from a younger player to a more veteran player, is level of communication,” Guerrieri said. “And safeties, that’s their job, right? They have to direct traffic. They have to be able to articulate, communicate, get everything lined up. So I’ve seen the biggest growth from them in that area.”
With star free safety Caleb Downs the only returning starter deep in the secondary, it’s crucial for the Buckeyes to find a dependable replacement for former Ohio State standout and current Carolina Panthers safety Lathan Ransom.
Guerrieri said that Hartford and McClain have performed well on the field, but he’s also pushing them to take the next step as vocal leaders to help fill the leadership void left by Ransom.
‘If you watch the practice, they play hard. They’re at the point of attack. There’s a lot of positive things from there,” Guerrieri said. “But now, Lathan Ransom is not in the room anymore, right? So who’s going to communicate at that level? I push both those guys to do that. So that’s the biggest part of growth.”
Hartford and McClain are expected to line up alongside Downs in the secondary. Downs, the undisputed starter and a candidate for not only the nation’s top defensive back, but also its best overall defender, returns for his second season with the Buckeyes after starting all 16 games last year.
Downs said Hartford and McClain have continued to make strides during camp, and he’s confident both are capable of competing at the highest level.
“I think they’ve had a lot of improvement,” Downs said. “We’ve been pushing everybody to be better, not just them, but every position to compete and play at a high level. They’ve played exceptionally well. I’m excited for both of them to see what they do on the field.”
