Coaches and collaborators can’t stop raving about C.J. Hicks’ blitzing ability.
He’s been moved around Ohio State’s defense and thrown at hapless offensive fronts plenty during the five practices the Buckeyes have opened up to the media thus far this fall. Linebackers coach James Laurinaitis said he’s so good at that element of playing the position that it impacts how everything else is taught to him.
“I think (the thing) for C.J. is when the ball is snapped, just pulling your trigger, using your ability and just going,” Laurinaitis said. “You bring up the fact that he's a good blitzer because when you are telling him, ‘Hey, you're going here’ – he's very disruptive, very disruptive. I think he's probably the best blitzer in our room.”
In a unit where defensive coordinator Jim Knowles plans to play more aggressively and, indeed, blitz more in 2024, Hicks feels like another intriguing chess piece to deploy regardless of whether he or Sonny Styles grabs the starting Will linebacker job.
And Hicks is leaning into his reputation, too.
“I feel like when we need a play, when it’s 3rd-and-long and we need somebody to get to the quarterback, I’m that guy,” Hicks said. “No matter who the D-ends are. I love our D-linemen, but I feel like I’m the best one at getting to the quarterback.”
Coaches and the player himself are one thing, but when senior leaders are bringing up a teammate’s blitzing ability unprompted when posed a question about them, it’s further reason to take notice. And senior Cody Simon, the Buckeyes’ starter at Mike linebacker, has taken such notice of Hicks’ abilities on the attack.
“He's super strong — super, super violent with his hands,” Simon said. “It shows on film and we're really excited about that because he can play a really big role in our defense. I'd say probably one of the best blitzers on our team. When he goes, there's violence. Something happens.”
After coming to Columbus with five-star expectations, Hicks’ first two seasons haven’t gone to plan.
Knowles said that Hicks would be "unleashed" in his second year but he struggled to find the field, never playing more than 18 snaps in a game and almost exclusively in garbage time. He subbed in for Steele Chambers in the third quarter of the Cotton Bowl for a few plays and looked rather out of place. Including work on special teams, Hicks has just 14 tackles to this point in his Buckeye career.
Hicks took two words to respond when someone asked him the main difference for him from last year to this one: “More confidence.” Specifically, he’s less afraid to make mistakes.
“I (was) trying to be perfect every snap that I can so I can get on the field. That was my thing for the first two years,” Hicks said. “This year, I don't care. I just go. If I mess up, I mess up. I'm going to talk to Coach Knowles and get back on it. But for my trigger, that's the main thing he talks about (to) the whole defense. Don't hesitate. That's what my thing was because it's like I was trying to be so perfect.”
“I feel like when we need a play, when it’s 3rd-and-long and we need somebody to get to the quarterback, I’m that guy.”– C.J. Hicks
A piece of that confidence is three years of experience in Knowles’ system. It’s one of many reasons why Hicks feels Ohio State’s defense as a whole will be the country’s envy this campaign.
“I'm very comfortable,” Hicks said. “I feel like the whole defense is comfortable. With Knowles and this defense, it's the best in the nation for sure. I feel like it’s very complicated as well, and for all of us to come together and make sure everybody's doing what they’re doing, putting everybody in the right places and making sure that we can get to the quarterback, we can force turnovers and things like that. I feel like the defense has grown a lot for the past three years.”
Hicks remains in the midst of his position battle with Styles, but Laurinaitis reiterated on Wednesday that those who deserve to play will play in his room. Hicks has regularly been discussed as part of the Buckeyes' plan defensively, so even as Styles continues eating most of the first-team reps at Will in practice, Hicks stays waiting in the wings.
“I just think those guys are competing,” Laurinaitis said. “You want to put them in situations where they're getting similar calls and they're working with all the groups. I've told the guys over and over, I think as we go through this season, since it'll be a long one, if you earn the right to play, you'll play. You'll rotate.”
Hicks echoed Laurinaitis’ sentiment. As long he’s getting looks, it’s not a big deal to him whether or not he starts.
“Sonny and I both talk about it a lot,” Hicks said. “We don't really care who starts as long as both of us are eating. He can start, I go in, I start, he goes in. As long as we're both making plays, that's all that matters to us.”
The Ohio native also feels such rotations will be commonplace across the defense given the depth the Buckeyes possess.
“If you look at every position, I feel like we've got depth everywhere, and everybody can play,” Hicks said. “Like I was just talking about with me and Sonny, when one guy is tired, sub the other guy in, and vice versa. So I feel like that fits for every position.”
So starting or not, Hicks is prepared to live up to Laurinaitis and Simon’s billing, attacking the line of scrimmage with violence and being a disruptor in what he hopes is a breakout 2024.
