Calvin Simpson-Hunt comes to Ohio State with the football IQ, top-end speed, physicality, coverage ability and athleticism to help the Buckeyes get back to BIA status.
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BETTER KNOW A BUCKEYE: CALVIN SIMPSON-HUNT HAS THE SPEED, PHYSICALITY AND COVERAGE ABILITY TO HELP OHIO STATE GET BACK TO BIA STATUS
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Simpson-Hunt's ability to press the opponent's top outside receiver in man coverage and use his physicality and strength to even knock his opponent to the ground at the line of scrimmage paired with awareness and IQ in zone coverage is what makes him one of the best cornerbacks in his class. The 6-foot, 175-pound cornerback also has the ball skills and athleticism to shed blocks on run plays and screens and defend jump balls. It’s the type of skill set that could allow him to see the field early even while he continues to get stronger and develop in the weight room.
"Theoretically, you don't want to have to put a true freshman out there but some guys are ready for it," cornerbacks coach Tim Walton said in February. "If you're ready for it and you show that you have it in your competitive nature, you're physically ready, the mental state of mind, you have the maturity level because some guys mature faster than others."
Considering two of Ohio State’s top three cornerbacks from last season are no longer in Columbus – Cameron Brown entered the 2023 NFL draft and JK Johnson transferred to LSU – there will be plenty of competition in the two-deep for the Buckeyes' cornerbacks. And Simpson-Hunt has the repertoire to challenge for early playing time. He won’t arrive until summer, giving him ground to make up on Denzel Burke, Davison Igbinosun, Jordan Hancock, Jyaire Brown, Ryan Turner and fellow true freshman Jermaine Mathews Jr., but Walton believes Simpson-Hunt has the physical makeup to compete as soon as he arrives.
“He is more physically ready than some high school guys,” Walton said. “It's my job now to bridge the gap with the knowledge and learning before he gets here, but he wanted to finish up with that experience, and we'll try to make sure we catch him up as soon as possible. But he's physically gifted a little bit, so he won't be as far behind with some things.”
At the least, Simpson-Hunt should have the opportunity to vie for immediate playing time on special teams, which is certainly never a bad way to gain experience early on at the collegiate level.
LONG-TERM IMPACT
It could take a year or two for Simpson-Hunt to get acclimated to Jim Knowles' system, but once he does, the cornerback will likely flourish. With Burke being a candidate to enter the 2024 NFL draft after this upcoming season, there will be opportunities for Simpson-Hunt to earn playing time early in his Ohio State career.
For years now, Ohio State has been looking for the next dominant cornerback to lead the Buckeyes back to their BIA status. Given their size and the types of skill sets each possesses, I have a feeling that either Simpson-Hunt or Mathews – the top-rated defensive player in Ohio State's 2023 class – will do just that. Simpson-Hunt checks all the boxes to potentially become a dominant cornerback, it just comes down to him being able to develop both on the field and in the weight room to maximize his ceiling.
