ATLANTA – Jeff Hafley and Jeff Okudah each celebrated nominations for major national awards this week. Hafley was a finalist for the Broyles Award as one of college football's best assistant coaches, while Okudah is a finalist for the Thorpe Award as one of college football's best defensive backs.
Both say they wouldn't be in this position without the other.
As Ohio State's defensive coordinator and secondary coach, Hafley led one of the most impressive transformations in the country this season, taking what was statistically one of the worst Buckeye defenses in program history last season to one that is arguably the best in the country.
Last season, the Ohio State defense finished 72nd in the country in yards allowed per game (404), 51st in points allowed per game (25.5), and 118th in 30-plus yard plays allowed (39). This season, Ohio State ranks in the top five in all three categories.
But a coach can only do so much. Regardless of any technical training, personnel changes or scheme adjustments, the game ultimately comes down to execution from the players on the field. Hafley is quick to recognize that.
“Players really – honestly – they make us pretty good,” Hafley said at the Broyles Award banquet. “And we have really good players.”
Okudah might be his best.
Okudah's talent and potential were clear long before Hafley ever arrived in Columbus. Coming out of high school, Okudah was a five-star prospect rated as the top corner in the 2017 recruiting class and the No. 8 overall player in the nation.
As a true freshman, Okudah was ready to fill in for eventual top-five NFL draft pick Denzel Ward in the Cotton Bowl. After his sophomore season, Okudah was already projected as a first-round pick and seen the top cornerback in the 2020 draft class.
But that didn't mean he was a finished product as a player or a person.
“I think me and coach HaFley – we’ve built a relationship that will last us long past his coaching days and my playing days.”– Jeff Okudah
Despite all his previous accomplishments, his natural talent and his obvious career trajectory, Okudah credits Hafley with changing his life. And that struck a chord with his coach.
“We won a lot of games, we played really good defense,” Hafley recalled at the banquet. “But the best story I can share with you is, we beat Nebraska and one of my players (Okudah) had two interceptions or three interceptions. And he stood up in front of the group and he said ‘Jeff Hafley changed my life.’ And that’s why we do what we do.”
Nearly three months later, Okudah still believes that.
“Me and coach Hafley, we’ve had a really good relationship from when he came in,” Okudah told Eleven Warriors at the College Football Awards in Atlanta. “I think he just got me to open up more as a leader. He got me to expand my skillset, taught me some of the nuances of the position. I think Coach Hafley – he's just been so positive for my career.”
Hafley didn't recruit Okudah, is his third position coach in as many seasons and has known him for less than a year, but Okudah said the connection they made was near-instantaneous.
“We were both looking for something,” Okudah said. “And obviously, he was looking to be successful and I was looking to be successful. And when we share the same common goals, it’s easy to have that good relationship.”
The two clearly clicked, and have worked together to give Ohio State one of the top defenses in the country and propel the Buckeyes into the College Football Playoff. But the bond between Hafley and Okudah goes beyond football.
“Going to the playoff – it’s great. But we change lives. And there’s so much honor in that,” Hafley said. “To be able to take an 18 or 19-year-old and change his life, or help him along the road for his life – that’s what it’s all about.
“We all want to win, but there’s so much more important than that.”
Even though they've known each other less than a year, Okudah said he and Hafley are very close and talk to each other almost every day. And he expects that to continue long into the future.
“I think me and coach Hafley – we’ve built a relationship that will last us long past his coaching days and my playing days,” Okudah said.
For now, they'll continue to work together to try to win a national championship, they'll celebrate the awards and accolades as they come, and they'll have each other's backs – win or lose.
“I’m more than happy,” Okudah said of Hafley's nomination for the Broyles Award. “He’s really deserving of it. He put in a lot of work and for him to get commended for his work – it’s great.”
Hafley, meanwhile, has said multiple times that he believes Okudah is the best cornerback in the country and that he will be “disappointed” if he does not win this year's Thorpe Award, given to college football's top corner.
That very public display of support, Okudah said, is a perfect example of what Hafley means to him.
“Coach Hafley is really a players’ coach,” Okudah said. “He has players’ backs no matter what – he always tells us that. He’s going to fight for us and go to war for us. For anything.”
And Okudah would do the same for his coach.
