Ohio State will remain without Lathan Ransom against Missouri.
The senior safety, who suffered a lower leg injury in Ohio State’s eighth game of the year against Wisconsin, will not return to action for the Buckeyes’ season finale, Ryan Day said Saturday at Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl arrival press conference.
Ransom, who started Ohio State’s first eight games of the season at strong safety, missed the entire month of November after leaving the Wisconsin game in the fourth quarter with a non-contact injury. Before his injury, Ransom recorded 34 total tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble and two pass breakups in Ohio State’s first eight games of the season.
With Ransom sidelined for the Cotton Bowl, Sonny Styles is in line to make his fifth consecutive start at strong safety in Ransom’s stead. His absence leaves the Buckeyes with only four safeties who have played defensive snaps this season available for the Cotton Bowl – Styles, Josh Proctor, Malik Hartford and Ja’Had Carter – as Kye Stokes and Cameron Martinez entered the transfer portal following the regular season.
Ransom has not yet said whether he will enter the 2024 NFL draft, though he was among the Buckeyes who participated in Senior Day festivities before Ohio State’s final home game of the season against Minnesota. Ransom could still choose to return to Ohio State for a fifth season of eligibility, having received the extra year of eligibility when the NCAA gave all players another year of eligibility in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If Ransom enters the NFL draft, Ohio State will have to replace two starting safeties with Proctor set to play his final game as a Buckeye in the Cotton Bowl. Styles is expected to be one of Ohio State’s starting safeties next season while the spot next to him is likely to be occupied by one of Malik Hartford, Ja’Had Carter or a transfer addition.
Excluding players who have entered the transfer portal or were already out for the year with season-ending injuries, Ransom is the first Ohio State player to be confirmed out for the Cotton Bowl. Asked Saturday if any healthy players would opt out of the Cotton Bowl, Day said he did not have any updates on that yet, though he said there could be an update on that to come later in the week
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