Ohio State Football: 5 most important Buckeyes on defense
No. 1: Shaun Wade, cornerback
Shaun Wade is the most important defender for Ohio State next season. The junior from Jacksonville, Florida could have entered the NFL Draft but elected to return to Ohio State to fine tune his skills as an outside cornerback, from Lettermen Row:
"“I want to do it to show I can play outside corner, I want to do it for the team and I want to win a national championship,” Wade told Lettermen Row. “I feel like we’re going to have a great team next year, and I feel like we’re going to be elite. I want to be part of it."
The Buckeyes are going to need him to set-up and play well in a ‘Jeff Okudah’ type role next season. He will be relied upon to man-up with the opposing teams top receiver and shut him down.
A good cornerback in the back-end of a defense can provide dividends for the pass rush. The quarterback will be forced to hold the ball longer than he would like and thus providing an extra split second for a pass rusher to get to him.
Next. LB Teradja Mitchell ready to make an impact. dark
That is exactly what Kerry Coombs and this Buckeye defense will be looking for Wade to provide next season. And if he can take that next leap and join the Okudah’s, Ward’s and Lattimore’s of Buckeye past than a College Football Playoff birth will most certainly be in Ohio State’s future.