Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jay Timmons is entering Columbus with the wind at his back and expectations that he'll soar under defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and co-defensive coordinator/secondary/cornerbacks coach Tim Walton.
Ohio State Buckeyes On SI's Paul Keren bestowed upon the incoming 4-star Pine-Richland (PA) product a lofty comparison to Kansas City Chiefs cornerback and former No. 21 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Trent McDuffie.
Like McDuffie, Timmons is expected to pick up a significant slack covering opposing slot receivers from the nickel position, since senior Jermaine Matthews Jr. and sophomore Devin Sanchez will likely get the starting nod at the two CB spots.
"Another place where the Buckeyes had some turnover was in the secondary. Timmons was ranked as a five-star recruit and a top-three cornerback in the nation. He plays like Chiefs All-Pro Trent McDuffie with the way he processes offenses and his superb coverage skills," Keren wrote.
"Timmons has a shot to get playing time at cornerback or the nickelback position for OSU. As Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Devin Sanchez are expected to start at cornerback, Timmons will be right behind them to make an impact."
Jay Timmons' expectations raised when he flipped from FSU to Ohio State
Timmons was bumped up to a 5-star recruit once he flipped from the Florida State Seminoles to the Ohio State University. The minute he committed to wanting to win instead of wanting to stand out, his profile improved.
Obvious offense to FSU head coach Mike Norvell and, more specifically, defensive coordinator Tony White, who had the No. 58 defense in an ACC that lacked offensive firepower by and large, but Tallahassee wouldn't have been a good move for Timmons' career. The Noles are a dead-end situation for Norvell in what should be his final campaign in charge this fall. That team has struggled to find motivation since their 2023/2024 four-team CFP snub.
With the Buckeyes, Timmons will have a chance to compete for snaps right away, probably get them, and become a household name across the state of Ohio if he comes up with big plays in whatever role he's in.
Whether he can find as much success as the two-time All-Pro McDuffie, who was a Washington Husky before the program took off under Kalen DeBoer and stood out despite a bad record, is anyone's guess.
Either way, Timmons is unquestionably better positioned to make an impact and develop into a day one NFL draft pick at Ohio State than he would've been at Florida State.