Over the course of Ohio State’s first 15 practices of preseason camp, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has announced 13 winners of the team’s Silver Bullet of the Day honor, which recognizes a standout defensive performer from each practice.
Among those winners, only one Buckeye defender has received the recognition twice: junior safety Lathan Ransom.
Every setback is a setup for a comeback! Joel Osteen
— Jim Knowles (@CoachJimKnowles) August 13, 2022
Practice 8
@L8thanRansom #BIA #StrengthAndHonor pic.twitter.com/jm51M4X4HF
Sometimes you have to go through darkness to get to the light.
— Jim Knowles (@CoachJimKnowles) August 22, 2022
Practice 15
@L8thanRansom #BIA #StrengthAndHonor pic.twitter.com/N5vWfzyXQj
Ransom’s award-winning performance so far in camp is particularly notable because of the fact that he was unable to practice at all during the spring. At that point, Ransom was recovering from the broken leg he suffered in last year’s Rose Bowl, and Ohio State’s coaches were uncertain whether he’d even be available for fall camp.
Since camp began, however, Ransom says he has felt fully healthy, allowing him to practice without limitations.
“From the first day of camp, I was green to go,” Ransom said Tuesday. “And then I think I had a good hit on (running back Evan Pryor), and I think that's when I really felt like I was back. I came down really fast and filled the alley and that's when I felt like I was 100% back.”
In his first few weeks of practice since Knowles and the rest of Ohio State’s new defensive coaches arrived in Columbus, Ransom has made a big impression on the Buckeyes’ new defensive coordinator.
“He's had an exceptional camp,” Knowles said Monday. “He just stands out on the field in how he operates. He plays at a fast tempo. He's usually never wrong. Everyone makes mistakes, but he’s usually never wrong. In any case, he's aggressive.”
Ransom has also impressed his returning teammates with the improvement he’s shown this month.
“Lathan has had one of the best camps I've seen since I've been in this program,” said fellow safety Ronnie Hickman. “He came back and fought back from his injury, and he's just been balling out now.”
As Ransom rehabilitated from his injury this offseason, he had doubts at times about whether he would be ready for preseason camp. He described the injury as “the most traumatizing, worst thing that's happened to me,” and he acknowledges there were low points as he worked his way back, particularly during spring practices when he had to watch from the sidelines.
“That was the hardest part on me,” Ransom said. “I wanted to just be out there with my teammates. I wanted to be out there with my brothers. I wanted to learn the new defense. So at first, I was really down.”
Ultimately, Ransom set his mind to doing whatever he could to get himself ready to play this fall even though he wasn’t able to practice at all this spring.
“After I cleared my head and kind of just understood what the situation I was in, I really just started focusing on learning the playbook and do everything I could do because I obviously can't be out there with my teammates,” Ransom said. “And then just encourage them as much as I can. And then obviously seeing that taken away from me, once I got back on the field, I grew a bigger appreciation and don't want to leave the field now.”
Missing spring practices threatened to be a significant setback for Ransom and his chances of playing this year, considering it was his first opportunity to make an impression on his new coaches and acclimate to the new defensive scheme. But he focused on becoming a better student of the game so he would have a strong mental understanding of the defense even before he was able to practice in it.
“I knew that I couldn't go on the field, I knew that I couldn't do the physical things that everyone else could do, so I tried to improve my game mentally,” Ransom said. “And that was the biggest thing I think that I've seen the biggest change in me. Especially because the defense we run and the players I'm around now and the coaches I'm around, I created a better understanding of the game. I didn't have that last year.”
Ransom has spent extra time around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center all offseason, staying at Ohio State even during school breaks when other players went home so that he could focus fully on his recovery. Even since he’s been healthy, Ransom has continued to put in extra work, spending individual time with new Ohio State safeties coach Perry Eliano to get himself as ready to play as possible.
“We talk a lot about unseen hours and unrequired work. And he's a young man that puts that in each and every day,” Eliano said. “So it didn't surprise me that he was ready to go at camp because of all the time, all the work he put in when nobody was around.”
“Lathan has had one of the best camps I've seen since I've been in this program.” – Ronnie Hickman on Lathan Ransom
Eliano, like Knowles and Hickman, loves what he’s seen from Ransom during the preseason.
“Lathan’s done a phenomenal job,” Eliano said. “First and foremost, he's an outstanding young man. He loves football. He loves everything about the game. Extremely versatile. But more importantly, he's fun to coach. He wants to be the very best. And we've got a great relationship. So it's been great to see him blossom this fall.”
Where exactly Ransom fits in Ohio State’s defensive plans this season remains uncertain. Ronnie Hickman, Josh Proctor and Tanner McCalister are expected to be Ohio State’s starting safeties, Kourt Williams is also a candidate to see significant playing time as a safety/linebacker hybrid and Knowles has said he doesn’t want to rotate frequently in the defensive back seven.
That said, Ryan Day said Monday he believes the multiple personnel groupings in Knowles’ defense will allow players who aren’t starters to potentially “grab onto some roles more than we've had in the past.” Ransom agreed with that assessment.
“Since I've been here, this is definitely my favorite defense we've been in,” Ransom said. “It allows the safeties to fly around and make plays. It allows us to just see the ball and go. Not thinking so much and I really appreciate that and love that about this defense.”
While most of Ransom’s playing time over the past two seasons came in the slot in what is now the nickel safety position in Knowles’ defense, he’s been seen lining up at the adjuster/free safety position during preseason practices that have been open to the media. That’s the position Ransom was originally recruited to play at Ohio State, so he believes it suits him well.
“I came here to play free safety,” Ransom said. “So this was the first time I got a role to play one of the high safeties, and I was excited for the opportunity to show them what I know I can do.”
Given that Hickman is likely to play the majority of snaps at free safety this year, though, Ransom’s versatility might be his best asset to help him earn a role on Ohio State’s 2022 defense. Eliano believes Ransom is capable of playing all three safety spots in the Buckeyes’ new defense.
“Obviously last year he played nickel, so just being able to play that in the fall last year, you know, brings a uniqueness to now he has a new scheme where now he's playing the adjuster,” Eliano said. “He could play the bandit. I want safeties that can do it all, and I don't say that just to say it, but I want guys that are versatile, because at the end of the day, I want the best guys on the field.”
Eliano said he couldn’t say Tuesday what exactly he foresees Ransom’s role being this season. But Ransom says he’ll be ready to play whatever role his coaches want him to play.
“I feel that I can play any position they ask me to play,” Ransom said. “I feel that since I got here, I've been very versatile. Everything they've asked me to do, I've tried to do it to my best of ability. And whatever the defense needs me to do this year, I'm willing to do it.”
Regardless of how much playing time he ends up seeing, Ransom says his goal for the upcoming season will remain the same: Trying to help the Buckeyes win a title.
“I feel that will sort itself out and at the end of the day, our coaches are gonna play the best players on the field,” Ransom said. “And whoever they decide to play, they earned that. And whatever my role is, whatever everyone else's role is, let's do that and try to win a national championship.”
