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CB Jermaine Mathews, Jr. (Official Thread)

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CORNERBACK: JERMAINE MATHEWS
There may be no early enrollee with more confidence than Ohio cornerback Jermaine Mathews, who arrived in Columbus on Sunday and may be one of the biggest candidates to contribute early in his freshman season. Barring any further additions from the transfer portal, cornerback seems to be one of the Buckeyes’ thinnest positions entering the 2023 season. True freshmen have earned starts in back-to-back years for Ohio State’s defense in Jyaire Brown and Denzel Burke, so Mathews hopes he can continue that trend should he make a standout first impression.



https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...-as-the-buckeyes-prepare-for-the-new-semester
 
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IMMEDIATE IMPACT​

A handful of true freshmen have started at cornerback for the Buckeyes over the last handful of years and Mathews has aspirations of doing the same. With two of Ohio State’s top three cornerbacks from this past season no longer in Columbus – Cameron Brown entered the 2023 NFL Draft and JK Johnson transferred to LSU – there is certainly opportunity to be had.

Mathews' ball skills and cover ability at cornerback – both in man and zone – are what he's best at already, giving him an opportunity to make a name for himself in Tim Walton’s secondary. With a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, he has speed that pairs well with his skill set to make an immediate impact.

“I’m super confident. I think like my technique and just my athletic ability, I think it ranks up there with a lot of people,” Mathews said. “So I just really want to get my body right, my mind, learn the defense, really. I think I got a really good chance of making an early impact next year.”

Given his excellence as a returner for Winton Woods, Mathews could also be an option to return punts or kicks for the Buckeyes. Even if he doesn’t, Mathews is likely to make an early impact on special teams while he works his way up the depth chart at cornerback.

LONG-TERM IMPACT​

A physical cornerback, Mathews is already adept in press coverage but will need to continue to build his body and gain muscle in order to compete with the best wide receivers in college football every single play.

Otherwise, Mathews already has the tools to be elite. And he believes learning from Ohio State's coaching staff will only accelerate his development.

“They've done it before with other corners that are from Ohio like me and corners that probably weren’t as highly ranked like me,” Mathews said. “So I feel like they got the history of doing that, and then I really believe in Coach (Tim) Walton’s ability. And the strength staff, I can't forget about them, I really believe in them as well. So I feel like it's just a great mixture of everything and it's going to be some fun times in Columbus.”

As a Buckeye, Mathews has two things on his mind: Beat Michigan and, to put it simply, just win games for Buckeye Nation.

“It’s probably no better way to really come in,” Mathews said. “We’re down and we've lost to them back-to-back years, so I feel like it’s time to really change. So it's probably no better way to come in, we got the chip on our shoulders and it’s time to really lock in.

“I’m very competitive and I don’t really like to lose at all. So I feel like just how competitive I am and how much of a hard worker I am,” Mathews said. “I make a lot of plays, so I'll just get to showcase that in front of thousands or millions of people. They’re gonna love it.”

With Denzel Burke entering what could be his final season at Ohio State, there should be opportunities for Mathews to compete for a starting cornerback job early in his Ohio State career even if he doesn’t earn one immediately this season.
 
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Wow. As Coop used to say, "he passes the look test". Call me Debby Downer, but after last year's semi-complete flop by the DBs, hard to see a freshman getting meaningful minutes. Given that there are plenty of DBs, most with significant experience, see them playing, with coaches hoping that someone rises to the occasion. Football doesn't have the luxury of playing the freshmen in the midst of a losing streak like basketball. Heck, in college football, losing one game is a killer. Here's hoping that there's some blow-outs early on, so these freshmen do get blooded in a gametime atmosphere. Go Bucks!
 
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calibuck said:
Wow. As Coop used to say, "he passes the look test". Call me Debby Downer, but after last year's semi-complete flop by the DBs, hard to see a freshman getting meaningful minutes. Given that there are plenty of DBs, most with significant experience, see them playing, with coaches hoping that someone rises to the occasion. Football doesn't have the luxury of playing the freshmen in the midst of a losing streak like basketball. Heck, in college football, losing one game is a killer. Here's hoping that there's some blow-outs early on, so these freshmen do get blooded in a gametime atmosphere. Go Bucks!
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Or to play devil's advocate, Mathews has a real shot at PT since we have legit concerns at CB. Burke regressed (hopefully a sophomore slump, I am on the record saying he bounces back), Hancock was a highly rated guy that showed some skill but needs to translate it to the field this year, J Brown flashed but needs to progress to be a starter, and who knows on Turner. More question marks than answers currently, plus I think Mathews is a guy that is ready to play and might just earn himself some PT regardless of where the other guys are at.

Tremendous length, physically looks the part, excellent technique for his age and incredible playing the ball in air (that part being what we have lacked at CB recently). I wouldn't predict that he starts Week 1 or anything, but I would say he plays and perhaps takes a job mid-season...obviously these things are hard to predict, but Mathews has "it" imo in all facets and was one of my favorite recruits in his class as I kept watching his film. On the defensive side, I would even venture to say Mathews is the frosh most likely to earn significant minutes this year (both special teams and at CB). But if not this year, this kid's time will come if he puts in the work...he's going to be a stud.
 
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