Replacing Jordan Hancock: Buckeyes Must Find Next Great Nickel

This is the second in a series looking at how the Buckeyes will be replacing their departed starters in 2025. Up next is the nickel back spot vacated by senior Jordan Hancock.

Even without knowing exactly what the 2025 Ohio State defense is going to look like, there will be a nickel back involved, which means somebody is going to have to replace the outstanding Jordan Hancock.

Hancock didn’t get the attention he deserved in 2024, but his versatility allowed the secondary to move around and keep quarterbacks guessing all season long. He could go from defending tiny slot receivers to dropping back as the deep safety and the last line of defense. The more comfortable he got, the more he could do, and former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and current safeties coach Matt Guerrieri made the most of it.

Hancock finished the 2024 season with 48 tackles, eight PBUs, one interception, and two forced fumbles. He knew he was an under-the-radar guy, and he used it to his advantage throughout the 2024 season.

“Yeah. It’s awesome. I get to fly under radar and make plays,” he told Buckeye Huddle after the national title win over Notre Dame. “But you turn on the film, you see what you see, man. So, I’m super thankful to even have an opportunity to play on this defense.”

That opportunity to impact opposing offenses from under the radar will know fall to somebody else.

The Candidates

Lorenzo Styles, Jr. saw action on defense in every game this past season, mostly as the dime defender and backup nickel back. He has one season of eligibility left. Bryce West and Miles Lockhart have both been discussed as possibilities in the slot. Both redshirted as true freshmen in 2024.

Jermaine Mathews worked his way into the rotation at cornerback this past season as a true sophomore but spent last spring at nickel. Keenan Nelson transferred in last year from South Carolina where he had experience as a nickel back.

Incoming freshman Devin Sanchez is an elite cornerback prospect who will merit mentioning wherever possible. Classmate Deshawn Stewart is listed as a safety but played cornerback in high school.

Spring Outlook

It is unlikely that Jermaine Mathews will be back at nickel this spring as he is projected to be a full-time starter at cornerback this coming season for the Buckeyes. Lorenzo Styles, Jr. should open spring as the No. 1 nickel based on the 2024 depth chart.

Miles Lockhart is the only other player who is almost assuredly going to be in the slot this spring. With an open cornerback spot available — and returning starter Davison Igbinosun needing a break — there probably won’t be the same kind of experimentation that there was last spring. In other words, just about anybody who could end up at cornerback next year is probably going to get worked there.

Does that mean Bryce West will only be an outside corner in the spring? Or Aaron Scott? Somebody else is going to have to be involved aside from Styles and Lockhart. Could that be true freshman Deshawn Stewart, who has good size at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds?

Best Bet

The list of candidates for this spot could change should Ohio State’s new defensive coordinator prefer a safety-type at nickel rather than a cornerback. Though Lorenzo Styles, Jr. probably hits that sweet spot of being as big and physical as a safety, with the speed and athleticism of a cornerback. He is the odds-on favorite at this point to win the job.

Bryce West remains an intriguing prospect. He’s one of the fastest players on the team. He has experience in high school playing every spot in the secondary, which means he has at least dropped back as a deep safety in high school. The more that can be asked of any singular player, the more likely they are to see the field.

Miles Lockhart was brought to Ohio State to play nickel, so he’s going to be involved throughout. The position is probably too much for a true freshman, unless they “dumb it down” a lot.

Tight Ends

Go to discussion...