For the past two years, Ohio State's cornerback room has lived up to its Best in America moniker.
In 2023, the Buckeyes had the nation's No. 1 pass defense in yards allowed per game (145.9) and yards allowed per pass attempt (5). In 2024, they were No. 3 (167) and 6 (6) in the same two categories.
Now, two of the three starters who fueled Ohio State's efforts at cornerback in those two seasons, Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock, are out of eligibility and projected as day-one or day-two picks in the 2025 NFL draft. But the third of the starting trio from those campaigns is back for one final go-round alongside two other contributors.
Davison Igbinosun is staying for his senior season in Columbus and junior Jermaine Mathews Jr., who saw plenty of snaps in critical moments during both 2023 and 2024, is positioned to start opposite him on the outside. Redshirt senior Lorenzo Styles Jr., who saw occasional snaps at nickel backing up Hancock and in dime packages, enters spring as the next man up in the slot.
There are young pups nipping at their heels, however, and they will be adjusting to a new defensive scheme under defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who is known for having a diverse array of defensive subpackages.
In Line to Start: Davison Igbinosun, Jermaine Mathews Jr., Lorenzo Styles Jr.
Igbinosun is one of three returning starters from Ohio State's elite 2024 defense. His work as a physical pass defender with excellent run support capabilities has netted him a combined 104 tackles with four tackles for loss, two interceptions and nine pass breakups across the past two seasons.
In 60 targets last year, Igbinosun allowed just 32 receptions for 368 yards (6.1 yards per target) and two touchdowns, per Pro Football Focus. Plus, he made one of Ohio State's best defensive plays of the season at No. 3 Penn State in October.
WHAT AN UNREAL INTERCEPTION
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 2, 2024
How did Davison Igbinosun even catch this for @OhioStateFB?! pic.twitter.com/YlvorsDzSE
Anyone who follows Ohio State knows where Igbinosun can improve, however: penalties. He committed 16 of them in 2024 as one of the most penalized players in college football. But if he can cut back on those significantly, he has the production, length, physicality and athleticism to be a top-50 pick in the 2026 NFL draft and solidify himself as one of the nation's premier corners.
Mathews played the fourth-most snaps at cornerback for the Buckeyes each of the past two seasons behind its starting trio of Burke, Igbinosun and Hancock. Mathews received 194 reps as a true freshman in 2023 and then 395 as a sophomore in 2024, including 136 during the Buckeyes' four-game CFP title run. He collected 22 tackles and three TFLs while allowing just 6 yards per target in coverage.
A late-rising top-50 prospect in the 247Sports composite, Mathews is another long-armed defensive back with great athletic tools and physicality. He's also shown the mental chops that the position demands, as he's performed in high-pressure situations as early as his freshman year against a top-10 Penn State squad. If he and Igbinosun both reach their potential, Ohio State should have one of the country's best duos at outside corner.
Then there's Styles, who enters his fifth and final year as a college football player but only his third season as a defensive back. He played two seasons as a wide receiver at Notre Dame before transferring to Ohio State – joining his brother and soon-to-be star linebacker Sonny Styles – and changing positions to cornerback, where he's settled in as a slot defender.
Styles played 161 snaps in 2024 with 28 coming in the CFP. He picked up 16 tackles and four PBUs in that time. This feels like it should be his year at nickel, but with how the Buckeyes have recruited in the defensive backfield, there will always be youngsters vying for spots. Styles needs to show he has a leg up on them and potential slot solutions from the safety position for Ohio State this offseason, and that starts in spring practice.
Competing to Start: Aaron Scott Jr., Devin Sanchez
If Ohio State is searching for its three best cornerbacks to plug in and play for Patricia, there's a realistic chance that either of these names will enter the conversation.
That could mean competing with Styles at the nickel spot or with Mathews on the outside. That could mean a lineup where Igbinosun or Mathews slides to nickel and Scott or Sanchez starts on the outside.
Starting with Scott, the composite five-star prospect enters his sophomore year with 74 snaps under his belt. He overtook Calvin Simpson-Hunt on the Buckeyes' depth chart after arriving to Columbus as a true freshman, which is part of the reason why Simpson-Hunt transferred to Baylor this offseason.
Then there's Sanchez.
Jeremiah Smith, as a generational wide receiver prospect, came to Ohio State as a midyear enrollee last offseason and proved too good to keep out of the Buckeyes' starting lineup by the end of spring practice. Sanchez, the No. 1 corner in the class of 2025, could make a similar push.
The Texas product played for the No. 28 high school team in the country this past year according to MaxPreps, as his North Shore squad went 14-1 and made the state semifinals for the highest classification of Texas high school football. He's been clocked at an astounding 10.69 seconds in the 100-meter dash and has excellent length at the position, standing 6-foot-2.
Ohio State CB commit Devin Sanchez (@Devin2416) has an IN-GAME ATHLETICISM (IGA) Score of 90.3 which is higher than the average NFL cornerback when they were in high school. #IGAScore #GoBucks
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) January 27, 2024
https://t.co/UFKB2eWAzC pic.twitter.com/VzaUYtwwcu
Freakish athleticism? Check. Polish from playing at a top high school program? Check. Sanchez's instincts and technical acumen are visible on film (that's his junior tape above, FYI) and it's those traits that, like Smith this past season, could make him a can't-keep-off-the-field player in year one.
The Depth
It was a tough call whether or not to say redshirt freshman Bryce West joins Scott and Sanchez in competing for a starting position, but after some injuries, it feels he's a step behind Scott in his class.
Still, he could set himself up for playing time down the road with a nice leap during spring practice and the rest of 2025. A composite top-70 prospect, West has the athletic versatility to play nickel, which makes him a nice utility option off the bench.
Redshirt freshman Myles Lockhart, a four-star prospect ranked 400th overall in the 2024 recruiting class, rounds out Tim Walton's cornerback room for spring practice. Three-star 2025 signee Jordyn Woods arrives on campus this summer.
