Ohio State football: Top 3 Buckeyes to leave the program
By Ryan Stano
Maurice Clarett was a 5-star recruit out of Warren-Harding High School back in 2002. He was billed as the next great running back at Ohio State. In his freshman season, he certainly delivered on that billing and proved to be a supreme talent.
Clarett ran for 1,237 yards and 18 touchdowns in that freshman season. Quite frankly, it could have been a lot more if he didn’t battle injury issues with stingers to his shoulders. He helped Ohio State win their first national championship since 1968 in that 2002 season.
It looked like Clarett was destined for stardom. But then he had issues within the program. He was suspended for the 2003 season for receiving improper benefits. Soon he was dismissed from the program and tried to challenge the NFL’s draft rules so he could enter in after only one year of college ball.
After losing that appeal, he did eventually get drafted in 2005 by the Broncos. He never played in an NFL game after being cut in training camp. Clarett would eventually wind up in prison after being stopped by a cop and was found drunk with several loaded weapons in his trunk.
Clarett now has his life together and is helping others do the same. But looking back at his college career, it’s hard to think about what could have happened if he’d remained with the university. He was one of the best players in the country. He might have been able to help the Buckeyes win back-to-back titles in ’02 and ’03 had he stayed.
Clarett never was able to find a future in football after his dismissal from Ohio State. That is not the case for our next player on this list, who is actually a more recent departure.