Ohio State sophomore safety Lathan Ransom (12) hits a sled during practice. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
In the summer of 2020, Lathan Ransom made the 1,800-mile trek from Tucson, Arizona, to Columbus to finally join the Buckeyes.
Throughout the months into his first season, he said he’d spend time one-on-one with former cornerback Shaun Wade — who eventually won Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year — hearing advice and watching film.
Despite the December 2019 departure of former defensive coordinator Jeff Haffley prior to his arrival, Ransom said he never wavered from Ohio State, and his current coaching staff and teammates helped him break out as a freshman.
“I think the culture here is unlike any other school in the country,” Ransom said. “ ‘Tough love’ and ‘Fight’ — I bought into that and I think every player that comes here should buy into that because we’re getting pushed every day in the weight room, in the classroom, on the field, to just be our best. That’s why I bought in. I saw that from the jump and I didn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Ransom played in seven games and made six tackles, including five across the Big Ten Championship game and College Football Playoff. He made the final pass breakup against No. 14 Northwestern on a fourth-and-four situation in the fourth quarter, securing the Buckeyes’ unprecedented fourth-straight conference title.
The 2020 season was a year of learning, Ransom said. He tried to be a sponge and take each opportunity presented at Ohio State, where he said he discovered the standard held by the team.
“You can’t have an off day. There is no day where you can really take a play off or just not come here with your ‘A’ game because we have the best receivers, the best quarterback, the best O-line, D-line, linebackers,” Ransom said. “Every position on the field is the best in the country, so if you don’t come here with your ‘A’ game, then you’re going to get exposed.”
Ransom is one of 10 returning Buckeyes’ defensive backs who played in at least two games last season, and fifth in tackles among them.
Head coach Ryan Day praised the depth in the back end of the team’s defense. In addition to Ransom, the numbers within the Buckeyes’ secondary are giving Day confidence, more so than he had in seasons past.
“I think we’re much further along than we’ve been in the last couple years in terms of our depth back there,” Day said. “I think a lot of guys deserve to get on the field.”
Even though Ohio State recruited Ransom — a U.S. Army All-American — as a free safety, the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder said he lined up often at the line of scrimmage in high school. His development since he’s put on a scarlet and gray uniform, though, has given him versatility.
Secondary coach Matt Barnes said he was pleasantly surprised by Ransom in 2020, typically matching him up with the slot receiver as the cover safety.
Because of his breakout, Barnes said he expects Ransom to play all over when the defense is on the field.
“If you watched Lathan’s high school film, he was more a deep player, a deep, deep field oriented, middle-field safety, those types of things. He ended up being a much better cover player than we anticipated,” Barnes said. “That was something that we were not necessarily anticipating him doing at such a high level.”
Now, Ransom said Ohio State’s coaching staff has taught him to watch film and study at a higher level. He added that it’s allowed him to take reps at a multitude of positions, learning the concepts and techniques that he can pass down to younger teammates.
Ransom said he expects a big season for the Buckeyes’ defensive backs, saying they “definitely do have a chip” on their shoulders after the team allowed the most passing yards in the Big Ten Conference.
The sophomore said he wants to contribute wherever Barnes and the coaches decide to play him, and his goal is to show “Buckeye Nation” that he’s a contributor.
“I’m just a hard worker. That’s really something I pride myself on,” Ransom said. “Just a guy that’s just going to go in and grind every day. The other DBs in the room have just pushed me to be the best player I can be.”
