One of the more interesting spring position battles has been the competition for the open starting spot at safety left by Lathan Ransom.
The frontrunners to start at that position include Malik Hartford and Jaylen McClain, both of whom are getting reps with the first-team defense so far this spring.
If you ask Matt Guerrieri about it, he's pleased with how both have competed, saying he's "really happy" with how the pair have performed so far this spring.
Guerrieri, McClain, Caleb Downs, Leroy Roker III and Faheem Delane all met with the media on Tuesday to talk about how each of their springs has gone so far. We gathered video from all of their interview sessions as well as the best quotes and most notable comments from their conversations.
Matt Guerrieri
“When you’ve got the trophy in the building, you’re the No. 1 team. When you’re the No. 1 defense in the country… when you’re able to show that and a track record to produce that, then guys want to be a part of it.”– Matt Guerrieri on how Ohio State’s national title has boosted recruiting
- Guerrieri said he’s “really happy” with how Jaylen McClain and Malik Hartford have performed this spring. “Malik’s had a great spring. Jaylen’s had a great spring. Competition has been awesome. … I’m very, very impressed with Malik and Jaylen. The mentality when they’re on the field has been really, really good.”
- Guerrieri said Ohio State has asked several defensive backs to be versatile and play multiple positions, including, but not limited to, Caleb Downs, Jermaine Mathews, Davison Igbinosun, McClain, Hartford, Faheem Delane and Bryce West.
- Guerrieri said Delane has “a ready-made college body” even as a freshman. “Faheem brings a physicality to the game. You saw that if you ever watched his high school film,” Guerrieri said. “He brings a mentality of seriousness and physicality to his game.”
- On Caleb Downs being limited this spring as he recovers from a nagging injury: “He’s done a good amount of things, so it’s not like he hasn’t done a good amount of stuff. He has. It makes a difference when he’s on the field for us, for sure. But when he’s not been out there, it’s been great to be able to put the other guys out there. They have to communicate, direct traffic. Part of that is, certain things we want to see out of Caleb, certain things we say, ‘Hey, let’s hold Caleb in these situations, put the other guys out there.’ It’s been a mixed bag of both.”
Caleb Downs
“I think we have a lot of variability right now. Being able to hop into different packages, different personnel groupings. That's always a good thing because it creates more that the offense has to deal with.”– Caleb Downs on what he’s seen from Matt Patricia’s defense so far
- Downs said he’s always taken a lot of pride in his tackling ability and that’s been a focal point for him as soon as he started playing football. He looked up to Earl Thomas and saw people calling him a “sure tackler,” so that’s what he wanted for himself.
- On Monday, Ryan Day said Caleb Downs has been limited this spring as a precautionary measure as he deals with a minor injury. Tuesday, Downs said being limited in spring football has allowed him to really focus on the mental side of the game and learn from Matt Patricia. He’s also tried to help his teammates more when needed.
- Downs said he’s participated in team drills “a couple of times” and while he declined to say what his specific injury is, he said he’s “good for the most part” and that he’s only playing limited snaps this spring because he had the most defensive snaps played on the 2024 roster.
Jaylen McClain
“I’m just working, just competing. Working my tail off and making a role for myself.”– Jaylen McClain on preparing for a bigger role in 2025
- McClain’s main focus this spring has been versatility, “being able to plug-and-play anywhere.”
- On what caused his surge onto Ohio State’s two-deep as a freshman last year: “My preparation before college, the high school I went to, as well as my self-determination. And just my ‘want-to.’ My want to work here.”
- McClain said he’s gained some good weight this offseason and is close to 200 pounds now, adding that he’s playing more aggressive on the field with his physical changes and increased comfort level.
Leroy Roker III
“It's just truly special. I really didn't get to come here last spring because I was a later enrollee. But, you know, watching them practice when I came for the practices, it was truly something special and I'm just glad to be here.”– Leroy Roker III on participating in his first spring football at Ohio State
- Roker says his focus in spring is on the little things and that he wants to be in the building every day and refine his technique.
- Roker said the way he hit in fall camp is what made him stand out to the coaching staff and his teammates.
- Roker said Caleb Downs has “that dog mentality” and that he picks up tendencies daily from him.
Faheem Delane
“Coming down and just smashing somebody is pretty much what I look forward to and going out there and dominating my opponent.”– Faheem Delane on his favorite part about playing safety
- “Everybody has to learn everything,” Delane said. “To be a versatile player, you’ve got to know everything. You can’t play on the field and not know the job you do. You have to know everything and be able to do the job. That’s competitive excellence.”
- Delane called college football much more “tedious” than high school. “The alignment, the reads, just everything is a little more tedious. Not really the football – football is football at the end of the day, so it’s not really too hard for me. But it’s the little things.”
- Delane said his favorite part of playing safety is hitting. “It’s domination. I’d say that’s the best feeling on the field, to be honest. It’s better than a pick, a PBU, it’s just physically hitting somebody with a body.”
