Lathan Ransom is out for at least the rest of the regular season.
Ryan Day said Tuesday that there is still a chance the Ohio State safety could return this season but that it “doesn’t look like it’s going to be any time in the next couple of weeks.”
He suffered his injury in the fourth quarter of Ohio State’s final game of October against Wisconsin. Ransom limped off the field with an apparent non-contact lower-leg injury. His left foot was in a walking boot and he was using a knee scooter to get around at Ohio State’s most recent game against Michigan State.
Ransom was Ohio State’s starting strong safety for the first eight games of the year, recording 34 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble and two pass breakups.
Sonny Styles has started Ohio State’s last two games at strong safety in Ransom’s place and is expected to continue in that role for the rest of the season. Jim Knowles said that Styles will have to continue moving around and playing different roles on the defense, though, which could also lead to playing time for Ja’Had Carter and/or Malik Hartford at strong safety.
As Ransom is a senior, it’s possible he’s played his last game as a Buckeye if he is unable to return this year. He still has a fifth year of eligibility that he received as a true freshman in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but will have to decide whether to use that extra year or enter the 2024 NFL draft.
Day also fielded questions Tuesday about multiple other injured players. Day confirmed that backup quarterback Devin Brown suffered “a bit of a setback” with his ankle injury during Ohio State’s pregame warmups before the Michigan State game, but said Brown is “all right” and should be able to practice this week. As for defensive tackle Mike Hall, who played only two series against Michigan State before leaving the game, Day said he could not provide an update on Hall’s status.
Day said he is expecting linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and safety Josh Proctor to both “have a good week of practice” after missing last week’s game against Michigan State, though decisions on whether they will play against Minnesota will be made later in the week.
“He fought to play, he could have played, but we thought it was in his best interest and our best interest that he takes his time getting back from this injury,” Knowles said of Eichenberg. “He probably had some extra grunts last week, because he couldn’t play.”
