Three Buckeyes are now set to play in this year’s Senior Bowl.
Ronnie Hickman became the third Buckeye to accept an invitation to the 2023 Senior Bowl, joining Zach Harrison and Dawand Jones, when the former Ohio State safety was announced as a participant in this year’s game on Sunday night.
Officially Accepted! DB Ronnie Hickman @asvprocket_ from @OhioStateFB is headed to the 2023 Senior Bowl #GoBucks #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE@JimNagy_SB @PaniniAmerica #RatedRookie pic.twitter.com/bz8GCh8Azy
— Reese's Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) January 16, 2023
While Hickman was a redshirt junior in terms of eligibility at Ohio State this past season, he is eligible to play in the Senior Bowl because he spent four years at OSU and graduated from the university in December.
Hickman opted to forgo his final two years of eligibility at Ohio State and enter the 2023 NFL draft after starting for the Buckeyes at safety for each of the last two seasons. He was the Buckeyes’ starting strong safety in 2021, then moved to free safety this past season. After leading Ohio State with 100 total tackles and earning second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2021, Hickman earned second-team All-American honors from the Associated Press and third-team All-Big Ten honors for his play manning the back end of Ohio State’s defense this past season, in which he recorded 53 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble and seven pass breakups.
Hickman, Harrison and Jones are among seven 2023 NFL draft prospects from Ohio State who will participate in pre-draft all-star games. Jerron Cage, Taron Vincent and Cameron Brown will all play in the East-West Shrine Bowl, with Cage earning his invitation to the Shrine Bowl after participating in this past week’s Hula Bowl. Former Ohio State safety Tanner McCalister also participated in the Hula Bowl.
