Closer Look: Miles Lockhart Slotting Into Role With Buckeyes

Miles Lockhart signed with Ohio State out of Basha High School in Chandler, Arizona. He was ranked the No. 34 cornerback in the 2024 recruiting class per the 247Sports Composite and the No. 399 player overall. He chose the Buckeyes over offers from Texas A&M, Oregon, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, Iowa, Washington, and others.

As a junior, Lockhart posted 69 tackles and four interceptions in helping lead his team to a state championship. He finished with 39 tackles and two tackles for loss in nine games as a senior. Lockhart enrolled at Ohio State in January and worked at nickel during the spring for the Buckeyes.

What To Like

Miles Lockhart (5-10 185) was recruited to play nickel but he does have experience playing outside cornerback as well. With the game the way it is today, nickel backs have become every-down players and they must provide the defense with an advantage against the pass. Lockhart’s experience at cornerback helps make that happen.

A very smart player, Lockhart was asked to play both offense and defense at Basha — and he shined at both. In the clips immediately below, he is exclusively at outside cornerback and shows the kind of ball skills and quickness that translate well to playing on the inside.

Miles Lockhart is playing in the slot right now but he has experience playing outside as well. pic.twitter.com/kWe9X2v8Ez
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) July 1, 2024

The Potential

At 5-foot-10 or so, Miles Lockhart is seen by most as exclusively an inside corner, but anybody that is good enough to play in the slot at Ohio State is generally good enough to play on the outside. Lockhart’s quickness, change of direction, and spatial awareness all make him a good candidate to thrive in the chaos of the intermediate portions of the field.

Of course, since the nickel replaces a member of the front seven, they must still be a factor against the running game. Lockhart is very comfortable defending the run and has already done it from the slot and as a strong safety. He is a solid tackler who is always looking to mix it up against a ball carrier or a receiver catching a screen pass.

Ohio State freshman DB Miles Lockhart was recruited to play nickel, which is where he was this spring. And if you're going to play nickel, you have to be able to defend the run. pic.twitter.com/ARjW9jQFu8
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) July 1, 2024

The Expectations

Ohio State secondary coach Tim Walton and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles got a good look this spring at Miles Lockhart at nickel. As with any freshman in spring camp, there was good and bad, but all of it was a learning experience.

The Buckeyes are pretty deep right now at nickel, as senior Jordan Hancock is back. Behind him are fourth-year junior Lorenzo Styles, Jr. and sophomore Jermaine Mathews, Jr. There shouldn’t be a need for Lockhart on defense this year, but there is always room on special teams for anybody who wants it.

A redshirt season would allow Lockhart to grow and to also get a year of separation between him and the veterans in front of him.

Miles Lockhart enrolled in January and took part in spring ball for the Buckeyes. Here are a handful of his spring game snaps. pic.twitter.com/sNGMYlTpcB
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) July 1, 2024

The Bottom Line

Miles Lockhart’s freshman season will be a learning experience but his sophomore season will challenge him to contribute something defensively. The athleticism and smarts are there, but nickel requires a level of awareness that takes time.

It will be interesting to see if he can become an every-down player at nickel, or if he will be subbed out on early downs. The willingness to defend the run is certainly there, but coaches are going to fixate on matchups and choose their best options. That’s one of the reasons starting nickel back Jordan Hancock added weight. He wanted to be better equipped to help the Buckeyes defend the run.

Lockhart’s history in high school was dotted with his coaches asking him to do many different things in order to reach their goals as a team. He did those things and will continue to do them at Ohio State. The willingness to do whatever the team needs may in fact be his biggest strength.

Miles Lockhart was asked to play several positions in high school, which gives you an idea of the kind of trust his coaches placed in him. pic.twitter.com/2keOYHgX3k
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) July 1, 2024

Previous Closer Look Editions