Jeffrey Okudah, five-star cornerback, Ohio State
Ohio State is losing three defensive backs heading into the 2017 season — Malik Hooker, Gareon Conley and Marshon Lattimore. So without a doubt, Urban Meyer is going to need one or two young players to step up in the secondary.
Luckily for him, asking a freshman to step up and play a big role hasn’t really been an issue during his time in Columbus. And that should be the case once again with Okudah.
The 247Sports Composite ranked Okudah as the No. 1 cornerback in his class and the No. 2 recruit from the state of Texas, which is one of the most talent-rich football states in America.
At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Okudah was a U.S. Army All-American and unanimous five-star recruit. He played offense and defense as a high schooler, notching 43 tackles, five pass breakups and 795 total yards on offense in his senior season.
Okudah is rangy in open space, has great ball skills and isn’t afraid to fly down to the line of scrimmage to lay the hammer as a tackler. As a plus, he could make a big impact for Ohio State as a special teamer, so overall 2017 should be a big year for him.