Ohio State junior defensive end Sam Hubbard (6) prepares for a Trojan possession in the first quarter of the 2017 Cotton Bowl against USC on Dec. 29 in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Ohio State won 24-7. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Photo Editor
Former Ohio State defensive end Sam Hubbard was selected as the No. 77 overall pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Hubbard was the second Ohio State player taken by the Bengals after the team selected offensive lineman Billy Price with the 21st pick in the first round.
After playing in 40 career games and starting 22 contests, Hubbard left Ohio State with the 15th-most sacks in school history with 17.
Coming in as a four-star safety recruit, Hubbard switched to defensive end when he came to Ohio State. After redshirting his freshman season, Hubbard was named a USA Today Freshman All-American in 2015, recording eight tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and an interception.
In his redshirt sophomore season, Hubbard was named as an honorable mention All-Big Ten, adding 46 tackles and eight tackles for loss.
Hubbard earned second-team All-Big Ten honors during his redshirt junior season in 2017, ending the season with 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks, good for second-most on the team in both categories.
Hubbard announced he would forgo his redshirt senior season and enter the NFL Draft on Dec. 30, only one day after Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl win over USC. Hubbard had a 35-inch vertical jump, ranked as fourth best at the NFL Combine. He also led all defensive linemen with an 11.61-second 60-yard shuttle.
The Bengals begin their 2018 season on Sept. 9 against recently drafted former Ohio State defensive end Tyquan Lewis and the Indianapolis Colts.
