The Ohio State football team was hoping to win a second straight national championship this season. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes lost to Miami in the Cotton Bowl. It was a very disappointing end to what was a very promising season after they started the season 12-0.
One player who came into the season expecting to have a bigger impact in a new role was C.J. Hicks. Hicks had spent the first three seasons at the linebacker spot. Hicks claimed that he was better utilized as an edge player, and that's where the Buckeyes moved him for this season.
Ultimately, the Ohio State Buckeyes ended up playing Hicks just four games this season, allowing him to redshirt. Now, after four disappointing seasons in Columbus, Hicks has decided to enter the Transfer Portal. Hicks will have a final year of eligibility left.
The Ohio State football team loses C.J. Hicks to the Transfer Portal
In four seasons with the Buckeyes, Hicks recorded just 42 tackles and two sacks. After being a five-star recruit coming out of high school, he ended up being a massively disappointing player. Ohio State was hoping for him to play much better during his time in Columbus.
At this point in Hicks' career, it's unclear where he will be next season. He likely won't be able to have a starting job as a linebacker or defensive end at a higher-level P4 school, so he might have to settle for a MAC or Sun Belt school. His stats and track record don't give him a lot of options.
Ohio State won't miss Hicks next season. He was clearly unhappy with his role within the program, but he wasn't able to beat out other players at his position. Had he been better, he would have been able to record more stats and get more playing time in big games.
Hicks ended up being a pretty bad whiff for Ryan Day and his staff when it comes to recruiting evaluation.