Brett Ludwiczak
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Safety Lathan Ransom is ready for one last ride at Ohio State
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After last season was cut short for Ransom, the safety has unfinished business in his fifth season in Columbus.
Every day from now until the start of the season, Land-Grant Holy Land is highlighting Ohio State football players that you should be watching this season. Check out all of our ”Player to Watch” articles to get ready for the season opener against Akron.
Lathan Ransom wasn’t ready for his Ohio State career to end after the 2023 season. The senior was injured in late October in the Wisconsin game, and wouldn’t take the field again after suffering a Lisfranc fracture.
The safety didn’t want his time as a Buckeye to end without beating Michigan and winning a national title. Much like a number of his teammates who could have declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, Ransom decided to return to Columbus for one more year in the scarlet and gray.
Ransom was one of the top-ranked safeties in the country when he committed to Ohio State as a four-star recruit in 2020. In his freshman season, Ransom played in seven games, with most of his time on the field coming as part of the special teams units.
The following season is when Ransom started to see more snaps at safety, registering 38 tackles and five passes defensed in 13 games. Unfortunately for Ransom, his season ended on a sour note when he broke his leg in the 2022 Rose Bowl against Utah.
The 2022 season saw Ransom come back with a vengeance, registering a career-high 74 tackles on his way to be named a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award. In the win at Michigan State, Ransom grabbed the first interception of his career, and in three games he registered nine tackles, including the heartbreaking loss in the Peach Bowl to Georgia. With a strong junior season, expectations were high for Ransom at safety heading into the 2023 season.
Last year Ransom had one of his best performances in Ohio State’s biggest non-conference games, recording a career-high 13 tackles in the 17-14 win at Notre Dame in late September. In Ohio State’s next game against Maryland, Ransom snatched the second interception of his career. Then at the end of October, Ransom was injured against Wisconsin and wouldn’t see the field again in 2023. Even though Ransom was hoping to play in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri, he just wasn’t able to be cleared to suit up for the game against the Tigers.
After four years of college football, it would have been understandable if Ransom decided it was time to head to the NFL. Instead, Ransom knows there are still a number of goals that he had set when he came to Ohio State that he has yet to achieve. The Michigan game was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, and the Buckeyes have lost the last three contests against the Wolverines. Along with beating Michigan this year, Ransom knows Ohio State has a talented team that can win the national championship.
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Adam Cairns / USA TODAY NETWORK
The choice to return to Ohio State was made even easier when Alabama safety Caleb Downs announced he was joining the Buckeyes after entering the transfer portal. With Ransom’s experience to go along with Downs’ playmaking ability, there is no question Ohio State has the best combination of safeties in the country. Recording 151 tackles in 40 games played so far during his time in Columbus, Ransom has the most tackles among active Buckeyes.
Along with all we have seen from Ransom so far at Ohio State, he will end his career as a five-year letterwinner at Ohio State, joining linebacker Cody Simon and just three others to achieve that feat. To make sure Ransom is fully healthy heading into the season, he was held out of full-contact work in spring practices, but he was taking plenty of mental reps to make sure he is at full speed when it was time to strap on the pads in preseason camp.
With how much he has already been through in Ohio State career, expect Ransom to go all out this season to not only lead the Buckeyes to their first win over Michigan since 2019, but also to help them become national champions in January.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After last season was cut short for Ransom, the safety has unfinished business in his fifth season in Columbus.
Every day from now until the start of the season, Land-Grant Holy Land is highlighting Ohio State football players that you should be watching this season. Check out all of our ”Player to Watch” articles to get ready for the season opener against Akron.
Lathan Ransom wasn’t ready for his Ohio State career to end after the 2023 season. The senior was injured in late October in the Wisconsin game, and wouldn’t take the field again after suffering a Lisfranc fracture.
The safety didn’t want his time as a Buckeye to end without beating Michigan and winning a national title. Much like a number of his teammates who could have declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, Ransom decided to return to Columbus for one more year in the scarlet and gray.
Ransom was one of the top-ranked safeties in the country when he committed to Ohio State as a four-star recruit in 2020. In his freshman season, Ransom played in seven games, with most of his time on the field coming as part of the special teams units.
The following season is when Ransom started to see more snaps at safety, registering 38 tackles and five passes defensed in 13 games. Unfortunately for Ransom, his season ended on a sour note when he broke his leg in the 2022 Rose Bowl against Utah.
The 2022 season saw Ransom come back with a vengeance, registering a career-high 74 tackles on his way to be named a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award. In the win at Michigan State, Ransom grabbed the first interception of his career, and in three games he registered nine tackles, including the heartbreaking loss in the Peach Bowl to Georgia. With a strong junior season, expectations were high for Ransom at safety heading into the 2023 season.
Last year Ransom had one of his best performances in Ohio State’s biggest non-conference games, recording a career-high 13 tackles in the 17-14 win at Notre Dame in late September. In Ohio State’s next game against Maryland, Ransom snatched the second interception of his career. Then at the end of October, Ransom was injured against Wisconsin and wouldn’t see the field again in 2023. Even though Ransom was hoping to play in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri, he just wasn’t able to be cleared to suit up for the game against the Tigers.
After four years of college football, it would have been understandable if Ransom decided it was time to head to the NFL. Instead, Ransom knows there are still a number of goals that he had set when he came to Ohio State that he has yet to achieve. The Michigan game was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, and the Buckeyes have lost the last three contests against the Wolverines. Along with beating Michigan this year, Ransom knows Ohio State has a talented team that can win the national championship.
The choice to return to Ohio State was made even easier when Alabama safety Caleb Downs announced he was joining the Buckeyes after entering the transfer portal. With Ransom’s experience to go along with Downs’ playmaking ability, there is no question Ohio State has the best combination of safeties in the country. Recording 151 tackles in 40 games played so far during his time in Columbus, Ransom has the most tackles among active Buckeyes.
Along with all we have seen from Ransom so far at Ohio State, he will end his career as a five-year letterwinner at Ohio State, joining linebacker Cody Simon and just three others to achieve that feat. To make sure Ransom is fully healthy heading into the season, he was held out of full-contact work in spring practices, but he was taking plenty of mental reps to make sure he is at full speed when it was time to strap on the pads in preseason camp.
With how much he has already been through in Ohio State career, expect Ransom to go all out this season to not only lead the Buckeyes to their first win over Michigan since 2019, but also to help them become national champions in January.
Continue reading...