It is time for these Ohio State football players to make an impact
By Del Barris
C.J. Hicks
He was the highest-rated member of Ohio State’s 2022 recruiting class. A five-star recruit who was the number ten player overall and second-rated linebacker nationally. There was a lot of excitement around him joining the Buckeyes. Unfortunately, he’s been unable to crack the lineup for any significant playing time beyond special teams. That’s concerning because, outside of Tommy Eichenberg, OSU’s linebackers haven’t been overwhelming.
After his 12-tackle performance in the Cotton Bowl, Cody Simon seems to have locked down one of the two linebacker spots. That leaves Hicks to do battle with Gabe Powers, Arvell Reese, and Sonny Styles, who is expected to make the switch to linebacker from safety.
New linebackers coach James Laurinaitis acknowledges that Hicks has all of the tools, but wants to see him be more consistent. The majority of five-star recruits justify their rating by going on to become important members of NFL teams. It is time for Hicks to show why he was such a highly regarded recruit.