NFL Draft Notes: Looking at the Buckeye Draft Hopefuls
4/23/2020 1:21:44 PM | Football
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State football class of NFL Draft hopefuls this season is, once again, large, diverse and decorated. There are a total of 16 players who could potentially be drafted, representing nine different position groups. They’ll eagerly be watching the draft over the next three days as the league conducts it remotely while in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here’s a brief look at the Buckeyes who hope to hear their names called between Thursday and Saturday (listed alphabetically):
3 Damon Arnette
Cornerback – 6-0, 195
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
St. Thomas Aquinas
- Career stats include 27 passes defensed (five interceptions; 22 pass break-ups) and 140 career tackles
- Tough – played with one wrist in a cast all year – and physical performer who brought swagger to the field
- Played in 53 games and started 38 times at cornerback
- Looking to continue a streak that’s seen every Ohio State starting cornerback drafted since 2013
13 Rashod Berry
Tight End – 6-4, 255
Lorain, Ohio
Lorain
- Spent five years, including 2015 red-shirt year, with the program
- Superb, physical athlete who played along the defensive line early in his career and tight end for three years
- Career receiving stats: 17 receptions for 198 yards and four touchdowns
76 Branden Bowen
Offensive Line – 6-7, 315
Draper, Utah
Corner Canyon
- Came back from an injury that caused him to miss half of 2017 and all of 2018 to regain his starting position along the offensive line
- Started six times at right guard in 2017 and 13 times at right tackle in 2019 for 19 career starts
- Earned second-team all-Big Ten Conference honors by the league coaches as a senior in 2019
9 Jashon Cornell
Defensive Tackle – 6-3, 280
St. Paul, Minn.
Cretin-Derham Hall
- Manned both the defensive tackle and end positions during his career
- Started all 14 games in 2019 for the Big Ten Conference champions
- Outstanding senior season included 30 tackles, 6.5 TFLs and 4.0 sacks
2 J.K. Dobbins
Running Back – 5-10, 217
La Grange, Texas
La Grange
- In 2019 became the first running back in school history to top the 2,000-yard mark, finishing with 2,003 yards and 21 touchdowns for the 13-1 Buckeyes
- Finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting
- First-team All-American who won the Earl Campbell/Tyler Rose award as top collegiate offensive player from the state of Texas
- Seeking to become the 11th Ohio State running back drafted since 2000
4 Jordan Fuller
Safety – 6-2, 205
Old Tappan, N.J.
Old Tappan
- Named school’s 22nd NFF Scholar-Athlete and three-times earned Academic All-America accolades
- Led the team in tackles in 2018, second in 2017 and third in 2019 and totaled 224 career tackles
- Looking to join a list of five former Buckeye safeties who are on active NFL rosters: Malcolm Jenkins (New Orleans Saints), Tyvis Powell (Denver Broncos), Malik Hooker (Indianapolis Colts), Von Bell (Cincinnati Bengals) and Nate Ebner (New York Giants)
53 DaVon Hamilton
Defensive Tackle – 6-4, 310
Pickerington, Ohio
Pickerington Central
- A 54-game veteran defensive tackle who started 17 times, including all 14 games in 2019 when Ohio State won its third consecutive outright Big Ten title
- Put forth a terrific senior season at defensive tackle with 10.5 tackles-for-losses totaling 52 yards, six quarterback sacks and 28 total tackles
- Earned third-team all-Big Ten Conference honors by both the coaches and media
39 Malik Harrison
Linebacker – 6-3, 240
Columbus, Ohio
Walnut Ridge
- Led Ohio State in tackles as a junior (81) and senior (75) and finished career with 205 total tackles
- Outstanding senior season included 16.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks and four pass break-ups
- Harrison would be the 20th Ohio State linebacker selected in the NFL Draft since 2000, which would be tied with Georgia for the most of any program in the country.
14 K.J. Hill
Wide Receiver – 6-0, 195
North Little Rock, Ark.
North Little Rock
- A smooth, savvy and skilled receiver who set the school record with 201 career receptions between 2016-19
- Finished sixth in school history with 2,332 career receiving yards and caught 20 touchdown passes
- First Ohio State receiver with three seasons of 50-or-more receptions
- Hopes to continue the trend of successful Buckeye NFL wide receivers that includes a nation’s-best 19 draft picks since 2000.
73 Jonah Jackson
Offensive Line – 6-4, 305
Media, Pa.
Penncrest / Rutgers
- Was a graduate transfer for the Buckeyes in 2019 after spending four years at Rutgers
- Started all 14 games for the Big Ten champions at right guard and was a first team All-Big Ten selection
- Seeking to become the 20th Ohio State offensive linemen drafted since 2000, which would tie Wisconsin for the most of any program
67 Robert “BB” Landers
Defensive Line – 6-1, 285
Dayton, Ohio
Huber Heights Wayne
- Played in 52 games and helped Ohio State win three consecutive outright Big Ten titles
- Career totals of 65 tackles, 23.5 tackles-for-loss and three sacks
- Honorable mention All-Big Ten as a senior
11 Austin Mack
Wide Receiver – 6-2, 215
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Bishop Luers
- Played in 45 career games, earning 28 starts, and made 79 catches for 1,050 yards and six touchdowns
- Had a career high in receptions (27), yards (361) and touchdowns (three) as a senior
- Caught 24 or more passes in each of his final three seasons
49 Liam McCullough
Long Snapper – 6-2, 237
Worthington, Ohio
Kilbourne
- Four-year long snapper for the Buckeyes who handled all snaps flawlessly in 54 of 55 games from 2016 through 2019
- Honed in on 577 consecutive good snaps on punts, extra points and field goals
- A finalist for the inaugural Patrick Mannelly Award as a senior in 2019, which goes annually to the top long snapper in the country
1 Jeff Okudah
Cornerback – 6-1, 200
Grand Prairie, Texas
South Grand Prairie
- As a junior in 2019, became the first cornerback in program history to earn unanimous All-America honors
- Was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which honors the nation’s top defensive back
- Looking to become the fifth Buckeye cornerback to be a first-round NFL Draft pick in the last five years
9 Binjimen Victor
Wide Receiver – 6-4, 199
Pompano Beach, Fla.
Coconut Creek
- Finished his career tied for 10th in program history with 18 touchdown receptions
- Career receiving stats of 83 receptions for 1,340 yards
- As a senior in 2019, had career highs in receptions (35) and yards (573)
2 Chase Young
Defensive End – 6-5, 265
Hyattsville, Md.
DeMatha Catholic
- Just the ninth defensive player ever to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy
- Won the Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which both recognize the nation’s outstanding defensive player, as well as the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end
- Is in a position to be the ninth defensive linemen coached by Larry Johnson to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft and third at Ohio State to be a top-three pick.
