The role that Miles Lockhart could eventually play in Ohio State’s defense became clear this past season.
While Lockhart was recruited to Ohio State as a slot cornerback, Jim Knowles initially used a three-safety system in his first one-and-a-half seasons as the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator. Tanner McCalister was considered to be a safety when he manned the nickel position throughout the 2022 season, while Ohio State started 2023 with Sonny Styles starting at nickel as a safety/linebacker hybrid.
In the second half of the season, however, Ohio State moved to playing three cornerbacks in its base defense with Jordan Hancock replacing Styles as the starting nickel. That proved to be a positive change for the defense, as Hancock provided a significant upgrade in slot coverage while also making plenty of plays against the run, giving Knowles and the Buckeyes reason to continue playing a cornerback at nickel going forward.
Hancock will continue to play that role in 2024 after choosing to stay at Ohio State for his senior season. Lockhart will be among the candidates to play that role in the future.
Lockhart possesses the athleticism and coverage skills in tight spaces that one looks for in a slot cornerback. And while he isn’t the longest defensive back at only 5-foot-10, he’s a strong tackler at 193 pounds who plays with the physicality Ohio State looks for in its nickelbacks.
Short area quickness, track speed, and will lay the wood! https://t.co/vn2WZPz5iJ
— Mark Pantoni (@markpantoni) December 20, 2023
“I feel like I can really get into run fits. I’m physical, I’m fast. But I also feel like I'm able, I'm quick enough and fast enough to guard the slots,” Lockhart told Eleven Warriors in early January before starting his Ohio State career when asked why he thinks he’s a good fit to play slot cornerback. “I feel like I'm just a versatile defender, just like Jordan is. And I feel like we can do a lot of things alike.”
With Hancock, Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun all returning at cornerback from last year’s starting lineup, Lockhart recognizes there may not be much defensive playing time available to him as a true freshman. But he’s OK with waiting his turn in year one.
“I'm just gonna sit behind him and just watch him do his thing and learn as much as I can behind him,” Lockhart said in regards to Hancock returning. “Just soak up everything I can from him, (secondary coach Tim Walton), everybody else.”
Lockhart is eager to learn from Walton, who he considers to be not only a coach but a mentor. Specifically, Lockhart expects Walton to make him a more technically sound player.
“The biggest things I needed to work on was working with my hands more as a corner and just getting hands-on, my catch technique. And that's something that I was working on a lot in the offseason,” Lockhart said. “So it's something that I've gotten better at. That’s something that Coach Walt has already informed that we're gonna work on a lot.”
While Lockhart knows he might not see a lot of playing time on Ohio State’s defense immediately, he’s still hungry to make an impact as quickly as he can. He’s starting his career as an early enrollee with a goal to be one of the first freshmen to get his black stripe off this spring, and he wants to help the Buckeyes win in one way or another.
The Lockhart File
- Size: 5-10/185
- Pos: CB
- School: Basha (Chandler, Arizona)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #389 (#35 CB)
“Wherever I can help the team, that's what I want to do. And just keep the defense where we're at now,” Lockhart said. “Wherever I can help and fit in my freshman year, that's what I'm gonna be doing.”
Ohio State became the frontrunner to land Lockhart as soon as it offered him in June 2022, and he never wavered in his desire to be a Buckeye over the following 18 months. But he became even more sure he wanted to be a Buckeye as he watched Ohio State’s defense emerge as one of the best in college football in 2023.
“It's super exciting,” Lockhart said. “I mean, it’s back to what Ohio State's level is at, and it’s just something that I really wanted to be a part of. And it just reassured my decision 100%, just seeing how the defense flew around and how they responded to the coaching.”
A native of Chandler, Arizona, Lockhart looks to follow in the footsteps of current Ohio State secondary starters Burke and Lathan Ransom, who are also from Arizona. He feels the competition he’s faced in Arizona has prepared him well for the next level just as it did for them.
“I know both of them, I've talked to both of them a lot, and it's just super dope seeing them thrive and do their thing at Ohio State,” Lockhart said. “Denzel started as a freshman, Lathan coming in and doing this stuff, it’s reassuring as well, just knowing that I could do that.”
Miles Lockhart comes to Ohio State from Basha High School (Chandler, Arizona), where he played both cornerback and running back. (Photo: Diannie Chavez/The Republic/USA TODAY Network)
One of the most important objectives for Lockhart as he starts his Ohio State career is to help the Buckeyes get back to beating Michigan. Even though he grew up nearly 2,000 miles away from Columbus, Lockhart says he’s already well-versed on the rivalry and full of motivation to win The Game every chance he gets.
“That's the biggest thing for us, really. I mean, we can't lose to team up north, that’s the biggest game,” Lockhart said. “No other game matters, really. We can go undefeated and losing that game, it just feels like a failure to the season. So yeah, the team up north is the biggest game, we have to win that. And that's how you get to the Big Ten championship, that's how you get to the playoff. So that's something that we're taking very seriously. And that's not a game that we're gonna lose. We gotta get the Gold Pants every time.
“Guys always say that like, the guys that didn't grow up in Ohio don't understand the rivalry, but that's not something that I take lightly at all. I don't like that at school at all. We don't talk about that school, I don’t wear that color anymore. Like, that's part of me now. So all of our commits I feel like that are not from Ohio take it just as serious. Like, we talk about it all the time. That's not a school that we're going to lose to if it’s up to us.”
“That's not a game that we're gonna lose. We gotta get the Gold Pants every time.”– Miles Lockhart on the importance of beating Michigan
Ranked as the No. 389 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2024 class, Lockhart isn’t starting his Ohio State career with as much hype as many of the other freshmen in his class. But he wants Ohio State fans to know the Buckeyes are getting a player who is determined to make a positive impact both on and off the field.
“I'm gonna give them my all from start to finish,” Lockhart said. “They’re getting a competitor, for sure, and just a good person overall. Not just a football player, but somebody that's going to help the community and do everything that he can to help the team.”
