Buckeyes freshman safety Kye Stokes sheds black stripe

Spencer-Holbrookby:Spencer Holbrook04/08/22

SpencerHolbrook

COLUMBUS — Kye Stokes began turning heads right when he arrived at Ohio State.

So much so, that he’s the first freshman to officially be a part of the football program by losing his black stripe.

Stokes lost the stripe after practice Friday, signaling that he is making the most of his first spring with the Buckeyes. In a safety room full of talented options, Stokes is already becoming a name to watch in the Buckeyes secondary, especially now in Jim Knowles’ ‘safety-driven’ defense that has the entire roster excited.

It won’t be easy to get on the field in his first season. But Stokes is working through the growing pains of being a freshman while still making a loud first impression on the coaching staff.

Stokes wasn’t a well-known recruit out of Armwood High School in Florida. But he certainly was more than fine being an under-the-radar potential star in the Buckeyes loaded 2022 recruiting class.

“I kind of flew under the radar in high school,” Stokes said on Wednesday. “I didn’t really go to any camps, because I was really focused on perfecting my craft and doing what I needed to do to get the attention that I did get. I didn’t go to camps, I didn’t do all the typical high school athlete stuff.

“I kind of flew under the radar, stayed low key and rolled with the punches.”

He certainly isn’t flying under the radar during his first spring at Ohio State. Kye Stokes is already making moves. And he officially became the first member of his recruiting class to shed his black stripe this spring for the Buckeyes.

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