Tale of the Tape: Knowing the basics of Buckeyes cornerbacks
The summer offseason is in full swing, and Lettermen Row is trying to survive it with our annual Position Week breakdowns. By the time all nine units and coaching staff at Ohio State have been covered, training camp and media days will nearly have arrived, and the return of football in the Horseshoe will be just around the corner. We’re continuing with our ninth and final positional week with the Buckeyes cornerbacks unit.
COLUMBUS — Lettermen Row is in the early stages of Cornerbacks Week by taking a look at the basics of the cornerbacks at Ohio State.
Let’s dive in.
Third-year cornerback Denzel Burke
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 190 pounds
High school: Saguaro (Phoenix, Arizona)
On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star Denzel Burke was ranked as the No. 188 overall player in the country, the No. 7 athlete and the No. 3 player in the state of Arizona in the class of 2021.
Picked Buckeyes over: Ohio State toppled Texas, LSU, Oregon, Colorado, USC, Washington, Arizona State and more than a dozen other schools that had offered Burke.
Stats at Ohio State: Burke has 69 tackles, three tackle for loss, one interception returned for a touchdown and 17 pass deflections in his two-year career for the Buckeyes.
Third-year cornerback Jordan Hancock
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 185 pounds
High school: North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Georgia)
On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star Jordan Hancock was ranked as the No. 58 overall player in the country, the No. 5 cornerback and the No. 7 player in the state of Georgia in the class of 2021.
Picked Buckeyes over: After he initially committed to Clemson, Hancock had a change of heart and flipped his pledge to Ohio State, ultimately signing with the Buckeyes historic class.
Stats at Ohio State: Hancock has seven tackles and a pass deflection in his two-year career for the Buckeyes.
Third-year cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr.
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 192 pounds
High school: Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio)
On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star Lorenzo Styles Jr. was ranked as the No. 70 overall player in the country, the No. 9 wide receiver and the No. 3 player in the state of Ohio in the class of 2021.
Picked Buckeyes over: Styles played two years at Notre Dame, opting to play offense for the Fighting Irish instead of defense for the Buckeyes. Once he entered the transfer portal, he picked Ohio State.
Stats at Ohio State: Styles has no stats at Ohio State.
Second-year cornerback Davison Igbinosun
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 187 pounds
High school: Union (Union, New Jersey)
On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star Davison Igbinosun was ranked as the No. 163 overall player in the country, the No. 15 safety and the No. 1 player in the state of New Jersey in the class of 2022.
Picked Buckeyes over: Igbinosun committed to Ole Miss as part of its 2022 recruiting class. He left the Rebels program after one year and joined the Buckeyes, picking Ohio State over Michigan and others.
Stats at Ohio State: Igbinosun has no stats for the Buckeyes. He started 10 games at Ole Miss as a true freshman last season.
Second-year cornerback Jyaire Brown
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 180 pounds
High school: Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio)
On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star Jyaire Brown was ranked as the No. 202 overall player in the country, the No. 24 cornerback and the No. 9 player in the state of Ohio in the class of 2022.
Picked Buckeyes over: Brown chose Ohio State over LSU and other top programs in the SEC. He lived in New Orleans before transferring to Lakota West for his senior season of high school.
Stats at Ohio State: Brown has one career start for the Buckeyes. He totaled eight tackles, three pass deflections and a forced fumble in his debut campaign last year.
Second-year cornerback Ryan Turner
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 189 pounds
High school: Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Hollywood, Florida)
On3 Industry Ranking: Three-star Ryan Turner was ranked as the No. 445 overall player in the country, the No. 47 cornerback and the No. 57 player in the state of Florida in the class of 2022.
Picked Buckeyes over: Turner chose Ohio State over Clemson, LSU, Georgia, Oregon, Florida and Texas A&M, among others.
Stats at Ohio State: Turner had one tackle, which was a tackle for loss and a sack, in his debut season last year.
Freshman cornerback Jermaine Mathews
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 182 pounds
High school: Winton Woods (Cincinnati, Ohio)
On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star Jermaine Mathews was ranked as the No. 48 overall player in the country, the No. 4 cornerback and the No. 1 player in the state of Ohio in the class of 2023.
Picked Buckeyes over: Mathews chose Ohio State over over Cincinnati, Penn State, Oklahoma, LSU, Jackson State and others.
On3 Scouting Summary: Athletic, coordinated cornerback with some of the best ball skills and pure cover ability at corner in the 2023 cycle. A riser on the college camp circuit, earning offers with dominant showings. Turned in the best in-person performance we saw from a corner in the 2023 cycle at LSU’s camp. Paired that showing with outstanding film as a senior Ran multiple 40-yard dashes in the 4.4 range with a best of 4.35 seconds. Smooth and technical in coverage with the ability to quickly read wide receivers and flip his hips accordingly. Rarely, if ever surrendered completions in multiple camp appearances. Uses his length to stay attached. Instinctive and mirrors effectively. The 40-yard dash speed transfers over to the field. Has high-end ball production, totaling 11 interceptions as a junior and senior.
Freshman cornerback Calvin Simpson-Hunt
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 182 pounds
High school: Winton Woods (Cincinnati, Ohio)
On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star Calvin Simpson-Hunt was ranked as the No. 58 overall player in the country, the No. 7 cornerback and the No. 9 player in the state of Texas in the class of 2023.
Picked Buckeyes over: Simpson-Hunt decommitted from Texas Tech, where he was originally committed, and picked Ohio State shortly after. He did not waver from his commitment to the Buckeyes after that.
On3 Scouting Summary: Pure cover corner with size and top-end athleticism. One of the best press-man corners in the 2023 cycle. Surrendered just 3 catches as a junior. Possesses solid length which allows for him to initiate contact with ease and consistently go up and play the ball at its highest point. Has a developed build at around 5-foot-11, 190 pounds. A patient corner who is rarely beat off the line of scrimmage. Has the recovery speed to get back in phase if needed. Ran a blistering 10.65 second 100 meter time as a junior and posted a 22.12 second mark in the 200 meters in 2021. A physical and willing downhill player who can make tackles in the backfield. Embraces matchups against top receivers on Friday nights and turned in a very strong showing against top-100 receiver Johntay Cook as a senior. Does not have natural ball skills, though he did improve his ball production as a senior.
