Ohio State Football: The most underrated freshman

The Ohio State football team has a class of 20 true freshmen this season. They ended up finishing with the fifth-best recruiting class of 2023. That’s okay, but it wasn’t nearly as high as they thought they were going to finish. No matter. There are still a lot of guys who are going to produce.

There are a lot of freshmen getting love early. Carnell Tate has perhaps gotten the most buzz this Spring as he has already started turning heads with his play at receiver. There is one guy who is flying under the radar who I think could end up being one of the best players in this class.

That guy is safety Malik Hartford. Hartford was listed as the fifth-best safety in the country and the best one in the state of Ohio. He was a four-star recruit out of Lakota West High School. Now, he’s a freshman that is looking to make an impact sooner rather than later.

Hartford is tall for a safety, standing at nearly 6’3. The best part about him is that he is versatile. He lined up all over the place in high school and was able to excel there. That’s exactly what Jim Knowles is looking for in his three-safety system. He can play all three safety positions.

It’s not likely that Hartford gets a chance to play much this year with Lathan Ransom, Ja’Had Carter, Josh Proctor, and Sonny Styles all above him on the depth chart. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got his hands on one of those starting safety positions next year though.

With his traits and measurables put together, I think Hartford has a shot to be the best or second-best player from this freshman class. He’s really good already and will only get better with coaching and a year of college development. Expect him to make an impact next season for the Ohio State football team.