C.J. Hicks did what he needed to do this spring to put himself in position for a breakout season on Ohio State’s defense in 2024.
Two years into his Ohio State career, Hicks has played only 75 defensive snaps. While that was partially due to being blocked on the linebacker depth chart by Tommy Eichenberg, Steele Chambers and Cody Simon, Ohio State coaches had also indicated they needed to see more from Hicks in practice before they’d feel comfortable playing him regularly on defense.
While coaches are still pushing for more consistency on a day-to-day basis from Hicks, linebackers coach James Laurinaitis saw substantial improvement from the five-star prospect this spring, which could lead to Hicks playing a sizable role this fall.