Ohio State Football: How can the Buckeyes replace Malik Hooker?

After losing three players in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, how will Ohio State football rebuild its top-ranked secondary?

Ohio State’s 2016 defense was one of the best in college football.

The squad ranked fourth in total defense, sixth against the pass and intercepted 19 passes en route to an 11-2 record.

With 15 starters returning from the 2016 squad, the 2017 Buckeyes squad could be even better, but it’s not without its holes.

Three of Ohio State’s star defensive backs, cornerback Marshon Lattimore, cornerback Gareon Conley and saftey Malik Hooker, heard their names called in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. While losing so many talented players from one position group could be extremely worrisome for some teams, it’s nothing new for the Buckeyes faithful.

Since Urban Meyer arrived in Columbus in 2012, there have been six Ohio State defensive backs taken in the first two rounds of the NFL draft, but never before has the team lost three starters in one off-season.

If Ohio State wants to continue to build upon the foundation set by last season’s Buckeyes squad it will need to assimilate new players into the secondary to play along side it’s lone returning starter, senior strong safety Damon Webb.

As the Buckeyes prepare for the 2017 college football season who will take over the free safety position vacated by Malik Hooker?

Malik Hooker’s road

Before being selected 15th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Malik Hooker was a four-star recruit from New Castle, Penn.

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After only playing football for two years, the high school cornerback received 14 division one scholarship offers, from schools like Penn State, Michigan and Nebraska, before he decided to take his talents to Columbus and play the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Hooker red-shirted during his first season as a Buckeye and appeared in all 13 games of the 2015 season as a core special teamer before becoming a starter in his final season with the team.

In his lone season as the Buckeyes starting free safety, he became a fixture of the defensive secondary. Hooker recorded 74 tackles, seven interceptions and three touchdowns in his 13 career starts as the team’s single high safety. He served as the team’s last line of defense and his lockdown play allowed the team to play Damon Webb in the box to better defend against the run.

While Hooker didn’t run a 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, his game film highlighted a player with game changing athleticism. His speed, leaping ability and ranginess is extremely hard to find in NFL prospects, and earned him pro comparisons to 10-year vet and Urban Meyers safety, Reggie Nelson.

If the Buckeyes defense want to continue to play the aggressive press man technique they are known for, it will need to find another supreme athlete to patrol the middle of the field.

Damon Webb

Apr 16, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Gray Team cornerback Damon Webb (7) during the Ohio State Spring Game at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

While Damon Webb started all 13 games for the Buckeyes last season at strong safety, but could be the team’s answer at free safety?

Damon came to Columbus as a four-star cornerback from Detroit, Mich.

The 40th-ranked recruit in the 2014 class. Webb received interest from schools like Michigan State, Notre Dame and Alabama before committing to Ohio State.

Webb played as a reserve cornerback in his first two seasons at OSU before transitioning to safety as a true junior. As the team’s strong safety, he recorded 32 tackles, one interception and three pass breakups after taking over for departed safety Vonn Bell.

In his first season as a converted safety, Webb exhibited the athletic ability to track the ball while it was in the air and fly to it while lined up in the box on most plays.

While Webb has yet to take a snap as a single high safety, he does have a unique skill-set that could make him an intriguing option in the middle of the field. Unlike other safeties, he has experience playing on the line of scrimmage and competing in hand-to-hand coverage against opposing receivers. His experience playing man and zone coverage could help him to better dissect opposing offensive plays and make the correct reads on any give play from center field.

Webb’s corner experience could also come in handy when deployed in the slot if the team chooses to rotate in an additional safety in it’s nickle package.

While Webb may end up taking snaps as a single high safety for OSU in 2017, he may best serve the Buckeyes as a safety/slot hybrid who lines up close to the line of scrimmage.

Regardless of where he lines up, Webb’s position flexibility should make him a favorite of defensive coordinator Greg Schiano and a leader of Ohio State’s defense.

Erick Smith

Other than Damon Webb, the only other safety who has taken significant defensive snaps for the Buckeyes is Erick Smith.

Smith, a four-star recruit from Cleveland, Ohio, has appeared in 33 games as a reserve safety for the Buckeyes. While the majority of his snaps have come on special teams, he has played 162 defensive snaps and even recorded an interception for OSU.

Smith is one the best special teamers on the Buckeye’s roster, and his experience tracking the ball and relentlessly pursuing opposing ball carriers should help to continue Ohio State’s lineage of aggressive defensive backs.

Going into Ohio State’s Spring game, Smith was listed as one of the starting safeties alongside Damon Webb on OSU’s first 2017 depth chart.

However, the team also started to experiment with a safety rotation that cycled Webb, Smith and true sophomore Jordan Fuller through the team’s free and strong position.

While he has yet to start a game for the Buckeyes, Smith does bring a veteran presence to a defensive backfield that has three notable vacancies.

Jordan Fuller

Jordan Fuller, a former four-star recruit from Old Tappen, N.J., may be a sleeper candidate to become Ohio State’s next NFL-bound safety.

Coming out of high school as a read-option quarterback, Fuller was ranked the second best athlete in the entire 2016 recruiting class and received scholarship offers from college football powerhouses like Alabama, Michigan and Florida State before committing to the Ohio State University.

Unlike many of his peers, Jordan didn’t red-shirt during his freshman season at OSU, instead gaining useful experience on the team’s special teams units while also playing sporadically (71 snaps) on defense.

Coming into 2017, Fuller is currently listed as the team’s second team free safety behind senior Erik Smith, but has been rotating in on first team during the team’s spring practices.

While Erik Smith brings much more real game experience and essential veteran leadership to the free safety position, Jordan Fuller has the kind of rangey athleticism that fans came to love from Malik Hooker and a year of experience under his belt in Greg Schiano’s 4-3 system. Even if he doesn’t start next season, Fuller could be the Buckeyes next star free safety.

Rotation?

According to a recent interview with Eleven Warriors, OSU defensive coordinator Greg Schiano doesn’t rule out deploying a safety rotation during the 2017 season after finding success rotating cornerbacks last season, and for good reason.

Ohio State has three safeties who could easily start for dozens of other schools, with each player bringing his own unique skill-set to the Buckeyes defensive backfield.

After Greg Schiano used OSU’s 2017 spring practices to cross-training his safeties at both the free and strong safety position, his defense should be able to mix and match players across the board without loosing a step.

Additionally, Schiano will also be able to scheme to his player’s strengths, like deploying Damon Webb in the slot on nickle plays, or dropping Jordan Fuller down to cover the athletic tight ends or rush the passer.

Albeit having interchangeable safeties is great for setting up unique defensive concepts, it also makes it easier for a team to deal with the various injuries that come up during a typical college football season. Maintaining the same level of talent on the field, regardless of personal, is paramount to maintaining a top ranked defense, so having a deep rotation of players is essential to having continued success.

While Damon Webb is a near lock to start for the Buckeyes in 2017, knowing that both Jordan Fuller and Erick Smith are capable of taking meaningful snaps for the Greg Schiano’s defense should be incredibly comforting for OSU fans. Even if neither Fuller nor Smith is able to outright win the team’s starting free safety position, rotating between the duo could actually help to keep the freshest players on the field on any given down.

Next: Ohio State Football: How can Buckeyes replace Gareon Conley?

As we inch closer and closer to the 2017 college football season, it looks like Ohio State is again going to have one of the best secondaries in college football.

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