Jaylen McClain Stacked Days In Building Towards Second Year

As a true freshman in 2024, safety Jaylen McClain was one of just two first-year Buckeyes who played in every game for Ohio State. The other, of course, was Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year Jeremiah Smith.

That’s pretty good company to be in, though most people probably were not aware of McClain’s accomplishment.

After enrolling in January of 2024, McClain made a solid early impression, and then just kept confirming what his teammates and safeties coach Matt Guerrieri were thinking about him. He eventually won the backup strong safety job behind fifth-year senior Lathan Ransom.

McClain even got a start in the middle of the season against Nebraska when Ransom was out for a week.

“It’s been a blessing,” McClain said of his season in the days before the College Football Playoff national championship game against Notre Dame. “I feel like the things I worked for, they’re starting to come out.”

There may have been better situations for a safety to choose if he wanted to play a bunch of snaps as a true freshman, but there was no better situation than Ohio State for a freshman safety who wanted to learn how to do the job at a high level.

Jaylen McClain had a front row seat as he learned from Ohio State’s immensely talented safety duo of Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom.

“To have those guys in front of me, I feel like they’re the best two examples that can be set for me,” McClain said. “They’re two All-Americans. I feel like them being in front of me is the best possible situation for me, especially knowing that my time’s coming.”

With two outstanding players ahead of McClain, playing time wasn’t ever going to be overflowing, but that didn’t keep him from working and finding roles, be it on defense or special teams.

While he couldn’t control the depth chart, he could control his approach, which is why his freshman season was not a surprise to him.

“I expected it. Because I just work,” he said. “You know what I mean? I just put my head down and work. I take the coaching. It’s hard every day. Working, grinding, trying to learn this defense. But obviously I got Coach Guerrieri, Caleb, Lathan, and all the other guys here to help me out. When you come in with expectations, all you have to do is just put your head down and work for it. I feel like that’s what I came in and did. I try to take care of business. No distractions. Just keep going.”

Distractions are going to be difficult for a freshman to avoid. Everything is new, so it’s all a learning process. McClain was able to stay on track, which is no surprise to Guerrieri, who only saw a disciplined and serious freshman safety last year.

“The growth has been what I expected from him but you’ve got to give him a lot of credit. It’s a discipline level,” Guerrieri told Buckeye Huddle in the lead-up to the national title game. “This is a guy that wanted to gain a little weight when he came here mid-year and he’d be in my office at 6:00 am with two chicken breasts and a bowl of rice every morning — he doesn’t love breakfast food. Anyways, that’s a silly example but that’s the discipline level of the man, you know what I mean?”

That’s just one small example of the discipline that Jaylen McClain has shown, but it’s an indicator of a much larger point.

“I would say from a standpoint of what have you seen on the field, whether it’s defense, special teams, you’ve seen a disciplined guy,” Guerrieri said. “And then when you are coachable and you have physical traits to be able to do it and a mental game to be able to do it and then you continue to stack days, I’m really pleased with him from a progress standpoint.”

Spring practice will get started on March 17, which is when Jaylen McClain will be announcing his on-field intentions to replace Lathan Ransom and start alongside Caleb Downs. Until then, winter workouts will continue, which is when players announce their off-field intentions for more playing time.

“I expect high level,” Guerrieri said of McClain’s offseason. “I expect high level every day from him. Whether it’s right now prepping for a bowl game, or it’s in the offseason from him. He’s a guy that continues to earn trust and respect from his teammates and his coaches. I go back to the consistency from him, and I would expect it’s going to be a big offseason. He’s had a season and now he’s able to build towards his second year, and it’s an important thing. It’s a big jump.”

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