The Ohio State football program has one of the best traditions in all of college football. No, I'm not talking about dotting the i, although that is the best singular tradition in college football. I'm talking about the Buckeyes making the freshman earn their spot on the team.
Ohio State Buckeyes will wear a black stripe on their helmet until they are welcomed onto the team. They have to perform well enough in practice in order to get their black stripe removed. Most of the time, it happens in the Fall once the freshmen are more comfortable.
For one particular player, getting his black stripe removed took a little more time than usual. Miles Lockhart was a four-star recruit in the 2024 recruiting class. He didn't play much as a freshman, mainly because he didn't have his black stripe removed. That has changed.
Ohio State football player Miles Lockhart sheds his black stripe
Lockhart is 5'9 and 193 pounds. While he is short, he has a lot of speed to be able to keep up with receivers. Shedding his stripe is a good thing for him because now he can finally start on a path to earning playing time. There are quite a few other corners who are looking to get playing time, too.
True freshman Devin Sanchez is chief among those. He is the number-one corner in the class of 2025 and is one of the true freshmen who has a real shot to earn playing time. Aaron Scott is another corner who is looking to get some playing time this season.
Lockhart likely won't get much playing time this year. He needs to develop a little more before he is able to earn playing time that won't be during mop-up duty. Still, this is a good first step for him.