COLUMBUS, Ohio - It is the time of the year again when we learn the next class of Buckeyes will be playing on Sunday this fall.
The 2020 NFL Draft begins Thursday night with the first round. Rounds two and three will be Friday and the final four rounds on Saturday.
There are a total of 16 Buckeyes that could be drafted.
Here is a list of this year's players with some information provided by Ohio State Athletics and where they ended up.
Drafted
- Just the ninth defensive player ever to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy
- Won the Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which both recognize the nation’s outstanding defensive player, as well as the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end
- Is in a position to be the ninth defensive linemen coached by Larry Johnson to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft and third at Ohio State to be a top-three pick.
Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young is headed to the Washington Redskins.
Many scouts and NFL personnel people believed Young was the best overall talent in this draft. With the heavy focus on (obsession with?) finding quarterbacks, Young went second overall behind LSU QB Joe Burrow to Cincinnati.
At 6-foot-5, 264 pounds, Young led the nation in sacks with 16 1-2 and forced fumbles with six last season. The All-American won the prestigious Bednarik and Nagurski awards in 2019, leading the Buckeyes to the Big Ten title.
He joins a team that went 3-13 and allowed 435 points.
- As a junior in 2019, became the first cornerback in program history to earn unanimous All-America honors
- Was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which honors the nation’s top defensive back
- Looking to become the fifth Buckeye cornerback to be a first-round NFL Draft pick in the last five years
The Detroit Lions grabbed the highest-rated cornerback in this year’s draft by taking All-American Jeff Okudah of Ohio State.
Okudah was the second Buckeye taken early, third overall and one spot behind edge rusher Chase Young to Washington. The top overall selection, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, previously played at Ohio State.
A smooth and physical presence on the corner, Okudah can handle all sorts of coverages. He became the 11th Ohio State cornerback taken in the first round since 1999. He figures to start in a division featuring opposing receivers Davante Adams and Adam Thielen.
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Available Players
Damon Arnette | Cornerback
- Career stats include 27 passes defensed (five interceptions; 22 pass break-ups) and 140 career tackles
- Tough – played with one wrist in a cast all year – and physical performer who brought swagger to the field
- Played in 53 games and started 38 times at cornerback
- Looking to continue a streak that’s seen every Ohio State starting cornerback drafted since 2013
Rashod Berry | Tight End
- Spent five years, including 2015 red-shirt year, with the program
- Superb, physical athlete who played along the defensive line early in his career and tight end for three years
- Career receiving stats: 17 receptions for 198 yards and four touchdowns
Branden Bowen | Offensive Line
- Came back from an injury that caused him to miss half of 2017 and all of 2018 to regain his starting position along the offensive line
- Started six times at right guard in 2017 and 13 times at right tackle in 2019 for 19 career starts
- Earned second-team all-Big Ten Conference honors by the league coaches as a senior in 2019
Jashon Cornell | Defensive Tackle
- Manned both the defensive tackle and end positions during his career
- Started all 14 games in 2019 for the Big Ten Conference champions
- Outstanding senior season included 30 tackles, 6.5 TFLs and 4.0 sacks
J.K. Dobbins | Running Back
- In 2019 became the first running back in school history to top the 2,000-yard mark, finishing with 2,003 yards and 21 touchdowns for the 13-1 Buckeyes
- Finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting
- First-team All-American who won the Earl Campbell/Tyler Rose award as top collegiate offensive player from the state of Texas
- Seeking to become the 11th Ohio State running back drafted since 2000
Jordan Fuller | Safety
- Named school’s 22nd NFF Scholar-Athlete and three-times earned Academic All-America accolades
- Led the team in tackles in 2018, second in 2017 and third in 2019 and totaled 224 career tackles
- Looking to join a list of five former Buckeye safeties who are on active NFL rosters: Malcolm Jenkins (New Orleans Saints), Tyvis Powell (Denver Broncos), Malik Hooker (Indianapolis Colts), Von Bell (Cincinnati Bengals) and Nate Ebner (New York Giants)
Davon Hamilton | Defensive Tackle
- A 54-game veteran defensive tackle who started 17 times, including all 14 games in 2019 when Ohio State won its third consecutive outright Big Ten title
- Put forth a terrific senior season at defensive tackle with 10.5 tackles-for-losses totaling 52 yards, six quarterback sacks and 28 total tackles
- Earned third-team all-Big Ten Conference honors by both the coaches and media
Malik Harrison | Linebacker
- Led Ohio State in tackles as a junior (81) and senior (75) and finished career with 205 total tackles
- Outstanding senior season included 16.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks and four pass break-ups
- Harrison would be the 20th Ohio State linebacker selected in the NFL Draft since 2000, which would be tied with Georgia for the most of any program in the country.
K.J. Hill | Wide Receiver
- A smooth, savvy and skilled receiver who set the school record with 201 career receptions between 2016-19
- Finished sixth in school history with 2,332 career receiving yards and caught 20 touchdown passes
- First Ohio State receiver with three seasons of 50-or-more receptions
- Hopes to continue the trend of successful Buckeye NFL wide receivers that includes a nation’s-best 19 draft picks since 2000.
Jonah Jackson | Offensive Line
- Was a graduate transfer for the Buckeyes in 2019 after spending four years at Rutgers
- Started all 14 games for the Big Ten champions at right guard and was a first team All-Big Ten selection
- Seeking to become the 20th Ohio State offensive linemen drafted since 2000, which would tie Wisconsin for the most of any program
Robert "BB" Landers | Defensive Line
- Played in 52 games and helped Ohio State win three consecutive outright Big Ten titles
- Career totals of 65 tackles, 23.5 tackles-for-loss and three sacks
- Honorable mention All-Big Ten as a senior
Austin Mack | Wide Receiver
- Played in 45 career games, earning 28 starts, and made 79 catches for 1,050 yards and six touchdowns
- Had a career high in receptions (27), yards (361) and touchdowns (three) as a senior
- Caught 24 or more passes in each of his final three seasons
Liam McCullough | Long Snapper
- Four-year long snapper for the Buckeyes who handled all snaps flawlessly in 54 of 55 games from 2016 through 2019
- Honed in on 577 consecutive good snaps on punts, extra points and field goals
- A finalist for the inaugural Patrick Mannelly Award as a senior in 2019, which goes annually to the top long snapper in the country
Binjimen Victor | Wide Receiver
- Finished his career tied for 10th in program history with 18 touchdown receptions
- Career receiving stats of 83 receptions for 1,340 yards
- As a senior in 2019, had career highs in receptions (35) and yards (573)