Ohio State football: Hancock adds versatility to defense

Ohio State has continued to dominate the 2021 recruiting class in what could be one of the best classes on paper that the team has had in years, and it got better adding Jordan Hancock.

Currently, Ohio State is ranked first by 247 Sports in 2021 recruiting rankings by a landslide. According to the website, the team has 19 commits including four 5-star recruits, twelve 4-star recruits, and three 3-star recruits. This is good for 305.47 points. Comparing this to the Alabama Crimson Tide who are ranked in second place with only 269.32 points.

The latest recruit the Buckeyes have landed is cornerback Jordan Hancock. Hancock was formerly verbally committed to the Clemson Tigers, notoriously the team that knocked off Ohio State in a heartbreaking loss in the Fiesta Bowl/ College Football Playoff Semifinals.

However, despite the loss on the field, the Buckeyes scored a big victory in terms of recruiting and further solidified themselves as DBU.

According to ESPN’s recruiting site, Hancock is ranked as a four-star prospect and ranked 84/100. They have him as the 7th best corner in the 2021 recruiting class, the 43rd best player in his region, the 11th best player in Georgia, and the 100th best player in the entire 2021 class.

According to 247 Sports, Hancock is ranked also as a four-star recruit. Currently, he has 247 Sports composite rankings of 96.49/100, the 76th best player in the country, the 5th best corner in his recruiting class, and the 9th best player in Georgia. While his overall 24/7 Sports rankings have him as an overall 95/100 as a player, the 40th best player in his class, the 4th best corner, and the 6th best player in the entire state of Georgia.

Rivals is currently the lowest on Hancock, however, they still have him as a four-star recruit, however, he is graded only a 5.9/10.  Rivals ranks Hancock as 142nd in the 2021 class, the 11th best corner, and the 12th best player coming out of Georgia.

As of now, Hancock is projected to be a 2nd or 3rd round pick. There are some concerns about his weights as he stands a 6’1″, however, is only 170lbs. However, with the elite strength program and coach that Ohio State has, there should be no issues in him putting on multiple pounds of muscle before he takes the field for the Buckeyes.

This seems to be the only current concern with Hancock. He has no character issues and seems to be a very coachable player. He is a very versatile player and was a multisport athlete in high school. Hancock has the speed to keep up with almost any receiver, the ball skills to defend passes on an elite level, and is not afraid of contact.

Kerry Coombs and Al Washington hit a home run with this recruit, especially when taking into account that they stole him as a verbal commit from Clemson. With the great reputation, the Ohio State has with their cornerbacks in recent history combined with the talent that Hancock already possesses, Hancock will be a player that plays a big role for the Buckeyes in the near future and could even be someone that you will be seeing play on Sundays later on.