Scarlet Sunrise: First-year safety Cedrick Hawkins sheds black stripe after bowl practice
Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.
First-year safety Cedrick Hawkins sheds black stripe after bowl practice
Cedrick Hawkins is the third and final Ohio State safety in the 2023 class to shed his black stripe. He earned the post-practice honor after Saturday’s bowl practice, a month after fellow safety Jayden Bonsu removed his and officially became a Buckeye.
Hawkins is the 20th true freshman to shed his black stripe. Malik Hartford, on the other hand, was the third to do so, sending the message back in April that he was a candidate for early playing time. He followed through by recording 156 defensive snaps and making two starts at free safety, first against Youngstown State in Week 2 and then against Michigan State in Week 11.
Meanwhile, Hawkins didn’t play a single snap in the regular season. He and Bonsu are two of the seven first-year Ohio State players to not see the field in 2023 so far.
Hawkins joined the Buckeyes in June. He was one of the older safeties in the 2023 class and clocked out as the No. 66 Florida prospect in the cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
Hawkins played both wide receiver and safety at Cocoa High School, where he won a state championship as a senior. In the process, he totaled 50 tackles, one interception and three passes defended in 13 games. He was more of a stat stuffer his junior season: In fact, he registered 117 tackles, three TFLs and 10 PBUs that year.
The 6-foot, 175-pound safety flew around the field in high school and had a nose for the ball. He can use his speed to get downhill quickly, but he’s got a lean frame that he’ll need to build out at Ohio State.
Hawkins was joined by walk-on tight end Jace Middleton, who also shed his black stripe Saturday after bowl practice. Middleton walked on this summer and is listed as a junior but has three years of eligibility remaining. The Olentangy product originally signed with the Buckeyes to play baseball and was on the team in 2022. Now, more than a year later, he’s shed his black stripe on the gridiron.
Ohio State hoops prevails in CBS Sports Classic rock fight with UCLA
Ohio State is back in the win column.
The Buckeyes outlasted UCLA in a rock fight Saturday in the CBS Sports Classic, 67-60. They came out on top in a game that featured 18 lead changes. Ohio State scored 22 first-half points — by far its fewest in an opening 20 minutes this season — and didn’t make a 3-pointer until there were just 46 seconds remaining in the game.
But that’s the only 3-pointer Ohio State needed. The clutch make from the top of arc, courtesy of Jamison Battle, put the Buckeyes up by six in the game’s final minute, a luxury in a defensive-minded matchup where points came at a premium.
The bounce-back effort, which followed Ohio State’s disappointing second-half collapse at Penn State last week, included an in-game bounce back from star point guard Bruce Thornton.
Playing in front of friends and family in Atlanta, Thornton — a nearby Fairburn native — was 0-of-8 from the field in the first half. He finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists and helped the Buckeyes grab an important win away from Columbus.
Get the full game story here.
Transfer tracker: Breaking down Buckeyes moves, philosophy in transfer portal
Having trouble keeping track of all of Ohio State’s transfer portal departures?
Lettermen Row has you covered.
The Buckeyes have already seen 14 of their scholarship players hit the portal — including starting quarterback Kyle McCord, starting wide receiver Julian Fleming and key running back Chip Trayanum — and there could be more on the way soon.
Follow along here to stay up to date.
Counting down
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 349 days
Are you a Lettermen Row member yet?
Are you ready to get all your latest Ohio State news in one place? Become a member of Lettermen Row today. With your Lettermen Row/On3+ membership, you’ll not only have access to everything that’s happening with the Buckeyes, but you’ll also be able to peruse other fan sites within the network to hear just how rivals are feeling about Ohio State, as well. Make sure to follow along on X, Instagram and on Youtube for all the latest Buckeyes news you need to know.
