Ohio State football: Who wins the battle at safety?

Right now, Ohio State has two players who are battling it out for the safety spot in the back end of the secondary. Who will come out victorious in that battle?

Ohio State changed its defense last season. They started playing more defenses in which they only had one deep safety. Last season, it was Jordan Fuller who got the majority of snaps back there wile Jeff Okudah, Damon Arnette, and Shaun Wade played corner.

With Fuller gone, that safety spot is up for grabs. There are two guys who are battling for that spot right now. Josh Proctor and Marcus Hooker are the two guys who seem to be fighting for it. Proctor played some last season as a sophomore, while Hooker hasn’t seen too much action.

Proctor seems to be the guy who has the inside track. He played in nine games last season and even recorded an interception. He seems like a guy that the coaching staff trusts. That doesn’t mean he is the most talented safety on the roster though.

Hooker has some very good skills as a young sophomore. He is the brother of former first-round pick Malik Hooker. Marcus Hooker only played in five games last season in mostly mop up duty. He hasn’t had a chance to prove himself in a game that matters.

Reports from practice are that both players are looking very good. Hooker has made the battle closer than I thought he would. It would be surprising to me if Proctor didn’t win that job. Nonetheless, that’s for the coaches to decide in practice.

This is one of the battles that is most intriguing in the lead up to the opener in two weeks. Both players would be great options for Ohio State moving forward.