“He's The Best Version of Himself Right Now”: Josh Proctor’s Career Year Continues with Standout Performance Against Maryland

The smile never left Josh Proctor’s face as he fielded questions from the media for over eight minutes after Ohio State’s 37-17 win over Maryland.

Proctor had good reason to smile. The sixth-year senior safety had the best game of his career on Saturday as he recorded seven tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and scored the Buckeyes’ first touchdown of the day by returning an interception 24 yards to the end zone for the first pick-six of his career.

PICK SIX BUCKEYES

The @OhioStateFB defense makes another big play pic.twitter.com/6NME0in9gV
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 7, 2023

Ryan Day said he gave Proctor a special shoutout during the team’s postgame locker-room celebration to recognize how well the Buckeyes’ starting free safety performed.

“He's the best version of himself right now,” Day said. “The guy’s been through a lot of ups and downs, injuries, things like that. He’s playing his best football. He’s the best version of himself now. In order for us to get to where we need to be the next two months, we're going to need him to play like that.”

On a day when Ohio State trailed for much of the first three quarters before pulling away with 27 unanswered points in the final 24 minutes, Proctor was a constant bright spot. Along with the big play he made to put seven points on the board for the Buckeyes, he made multiple key tackles from the back end of the defense to prevent big plays. He also showed up on special teams, making one of his signature big hits to stop a third-quarter kickoff return at the 18-yard line.

The elder statesman of Ohio State’s defense felt the game he played against Maryland – the 46th game he’s played in as a Buckeye – was “definitely” the best of his collegiate career. He attributes that to playing with a relaxed confidence he didn’t have earlier in his career.

“I was just out there having fun, honestly,” Proctor said. “Wasn’t thinking too much, just playing ball.”

Before this season, Proctor was known as a flashy but inconsistent player. While he has long demonstrated the range to make plays all over the field and has made bone-rattling hits on both defense and special teams throughout his career, he was also too often the player whose missed assignment would lead to a big play for the other team.

In four starts this season, that’s no longer been the case. While Proctor has continued to flash his ability to make big plays – none bigger than Saturday’s pick-six – he’s more importantly been a reliable eraser from his adjuster position, consistently holding up well in coverage and tackling soundly to limit longer gains when plays have broken through to the secondary.

While Proctor bounced in and out of the starting lineup in past seasons and has also battled injuries – most notably a season-ending compound fracture in his leg in Ohio State’s second game of 2021 – Day believes all of that adversity has made Proctor into the player he is now.

“This is a guy who's been through a lot. And you can't substitute experience and maturity,” Day said. “And I'm proud that he's playing like he is, but he's gonna continue to stay on that discipline. Because you can see the talent out there and the physicality. He plays tough. I mean, he comes downhill. There are several pictures in my mind of him showing up at the point of attack and bringing it. So it’s great to see him out there playing like that.”

“He’s the best version of himself now. In order for us to get to where we need to be the next two months, we're going to need him to play like that.”– Ryan Day on Josh Proctor

Fellow Ohio State safety Sonny Styles said he could see during the offseason that Proctor was ready to take his game to a new level this year.

“You could see a different focus from him, like a laser focus, like he was on a mission,” Styles said. “Not like he wasn't focused before – it was just a different level of intensity. You could see it in his eyes every day. I think that's really why you're seeing him play his best ball right now.”

Proctor said he feels like “everything is coming to fruition” for him in his final season as a Buckeye, though he knows he needs to continue to work just as hard as he has so far.

“I prayed about these moments, I've dreamt about these moments,” Proctor said. “Sometimes I had my ups and downs, but honestly, I'm just living in the moment, and I'm here now.”

A season that’s already been full of redemption for Proctor will come with another opportunity for redemption next Saturday when Ohio State plays Purdue. As one of only two players still on the team (along with right guard Matt Jones) who made the trip to Purdue for Ohio State’s 49-20 loss in its last trip to West Lafayette, Proctor is excited for the chance to get revenge this year.

“It means a lot,” Proctor said of returning to Purdue. “I haven't been back since, so I'm definitely looking forward to that one.”