Ohio State Football: Jeffrey Okudah set to be next great OSU CB
The secondary would appear to be a strong suit for the Ohio State football team next year and junior cornerback Jeffrey Okudah is poised for a huge year.
Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah’s sophomore season was much like a rollercoaster as it had ups and downs. However, Okudah finished the season strong with outstanding performances down the stretch. None of which were bigger than his coming out party in the Rose Bowl Game.
Okudah is the next man up in what has been a direct pipeline to the NFL during the last few years. Cornerbacks such as Marshon Lattimore, and Denzel Ward are the latest elite pass defenders to be drafted highly and offer an immediate impact at the next level.
Though the aforementioned players were recruited and developed by former secondary coach Kerry Coombs, the Ohio State defensive backs are in good hands. Ryan Day has gone out and poached Al Washington out of Michigan to coach the linebackers and hired Jeff Hafley to coach the secondary. He also added Matt Barnes to assist with the secondary on top of his special teams duties.
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Along with Okudah’s time at cornerback, he also spent quality snaps on special teams running opposite of Wide Receiver Terry McLaurin. Together, McLaurin and Okudah became the two premier gunners on the Buckeyes’ special teams units during the 2018 season and both saw high praise from Urban Meyer for their elite level of play and efforts on the field.
If Okudah can continue his development and elevate his play, he will definitely be on the path to exploding on the scene next season.
Similarly to how defensive end Chase Young’s rise to stardom came about – he gave us a preview with flashes of brilliance and dominance during the 2017 season. He then found himself as a household name early in the 2018 season, most notably after his epic performance in the Penn State game in Happy Valley.
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I expect to see a mirror image of Young’s rise last year for Okudah in 2019 under Coach Hafley and Coach Barnes. The potential to be a first round pick, possibly even a very high one, will undoubtedly loom for the junior as he continues to learn from his coaches and carry it onto the field.