Lathan Ransom is staying at Ohio State for his senior season.
The Buckeye safety will not enter the 2023 NFL draft, instead opting to return at OSU for another year, his father told the Columbus Dispatch.
Ransom legitimized himself as a potential early draft entrant with a breakout junior season in which he recorded 74 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, three pass breakups and two blocked punts. He was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as one of college football’s top 12 defensive backs.
His draft stock took a hit in Ohio State’s final two games of the year, however, as he was beaten for long touchdowns in both of the Buckeyes’ losses to Michigan and Georgia. He’ll look to bounce back from that disappointing finish to his junior year as he takes on a leadership role in the secondary in 2023.
With Ronnie Hickman and Tanner McCalister both departing the program, Ransom will be Ohio State’s only returning starter at safety. While he played primarily as a strong safety in 2022, he also took some snaps at free safety and could potentially take over that role from Hickman.
That could depend on who else emerges as a starter around Ransom. Syracuse transfer Ja’Had Carter and rising sophomore Sonny Styles are leading candidates while fellow fourth-year safeties Cameron Martinez and Kourt Williams and sophomore Kye Stokes are also among those who will be vying for starting jobs.
