Sevyn Banks is not returning to Ohio State’s secondary.
Ryan Day announced on Monday that the senior cornerback planning to move on from Ohio State and will not return to play for the Buckeyes next season.
Banks started six games during the 2021 season but dealt with injury issues throughout the year and was unavailable for the final three games of his career against Michigan State, Michigan or Utah.
It is unclear whether Banks intends to transfer, will attempt to play professionally, or simply retire from football. Day said he plans to meet with Banks and his family on Tuesday but that the cornerback would be "moving on" from the Ohio State football program.
Under normal circumstances, Banks would have exhausted his eligibility in 2021. Because the NCAA gave all players a free year of eligibility in 2020, Banks is eligible to play a “super senior” season in 2022.
Banks was credited with eight total tackles, one pass breakup and one tackle for loss across eight game appearances during the 2021 season. He earned a spot on both the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Jim Thorpe Award watch lists during the preseason and was also named a Phil Steele Third-Team Preseason All-American ahead of the 2021 campaign, but he was unable to live up to the expectation that he would be one of college football’s top cornerbacks, leaving his draft stock uncertain after some projected him to be a first-round pick entering the season.
The Florida native started all eight games for the Buckeyes during his junior year in 2020, when he led the team with seven pass breakups and eight total passes defended. Banks returned a fumble for a touchdown in Ohio State’s season opener against Nebraska and closed out the Sugar Bowl with an interception of Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Banks was named honorable mention All-Big Ten after each of the last two seasons.
The No. 221-ranked recruit and the No. 23 cornerback in the country in the recruiting class of 2018, Banks committed to Ohio State on April 26, 2017. Nearly five years later, Banks’ collegiate career has come to an end, as the Buckeye veteran is now setting his sights on the next level.
With Banks’ departure, Denzel Burke and Cameron Brown are set to be Ohio State’s starting cornerbacks in 2022. The rest of the Buckeyes’ current cornerback roster consists of redshirt sophomore Lejond Cavazos, redshirt freshmen Jordan Hancock and Jakailin Johnson and true freshmen Jyaire Brown and Ryan Turner.
