A pair of second-stringers on Ohio State’s defense are expected to take redshirts this season.
Sources told Eleven Warriors that senior defensive end C.J. Hicks and junior safety Malik Hartford are both planning to redshirt this season after they did not play in Ohio State’s 42-3 win over Minnesota on Saturday night. Neither player wore a helmet on the sideline during Saturday’s game.
Hicks, who is in his final year of collegiate eligibility, played in all of Ohio State’s first four games as the Buckeyes’ No. 4 defensive end but played just 50 snaps as Ohio State leaned primarily on Caden Curry, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Beau Atkinson as its top defensive ends.
Redshirting would allow Hicks to return to Ohio State in 2026 and potentially play a bigger role with Curry in his final year of eligibility and Jackson also a candidate to enter the 2026 NFL draft. It would also allow him to continue his development as a defensive end after making the switch to that position this offseason following three years at linebacker.
Hartford played in all of Ohio State’s first four games on special teams but saw no defensive action against Texas or Washington as the Buckeyes’ backup free safety. While Hartford competed with Jaylen McClain this offseason to start at safety, he’s seen no action with the first-team defense as Caleb Downs, McClain and nickelback Lorenzo Styles Jr. have been mainstays in the lineup at Ohio State’s three safety spots.
Should Hartford stay at Ohio State for his two remaining years of eligibility, he’d be a candidate to be the Buckeyes’ starting free safety next season with Downs expected to enter the 2026 NFL draft.
Ohio State has not confirmed the redshirt plans for either player. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day could address those plans when he meets with the media on Tuesday at noon for his weekly press conference.
Both players remain with the team, so their redshirt plans could change if injuries strike at their respective positions. Redshirting also wouldn’t prevent them from playing in the College Football Playoff, as the NCAA passed a blanket waiver last year exempting postseason games from the four-game redshirt limit.
With them being held out against Minnesota, freshman Zion Grady was the fourth defensive end to enter the game for Ohio State against the Golden Gophers while Idaho State transfer Logan George also rotated in with the first-team defensive line behind Curry, Jackson and Atkinson. Jackson left the game with an injury in the first quarter and did not return, though his injury did not appear to be serious as he remained on the sideline with the team for the rest of the game.
Leroy Roker III and Faheem Delane were the safeties for Ohio State’s final defensive series against Minnesota, when the Buckeyes put their second-team defense in the game, with Hartford not playing.
