Ohio State freshman Malik Hartford receives his first career start in place of Josh Proctor.
With veteran Buckeye Josh Proctor listed as questionable as he deals with an undisclosed ailment, Ohio State's coaches opted to start Malik Hartford – a four-star recruit out of Lakota West in the class of 2023 – next to Lathan Ransom and Sonny Styles as its third safety. Hartford earned the nod over Ja'Had Carter, who arrived in Columbus after three seasons at Syracuse.
Hartford has received plenty of praise in his first season as a Buckeye. In his press conference before the Indiana matchup, Jim Knowles said the 6-foot-2, 194-pound athlete has"rare" traits that have impressed Hartford's coaches and teammates since he arrived on campus in January. “He's smart. He has football intelligence,” Knowles said."I had a guy at Oklahoma State, Kolby Harvell-Peel, played for me as a freshman. There are guys that are rare. They come in. They have an understanding of the game. They find a way to get around the ball. It jumps out at you.”“I remember some of the highlights he had coming out of high school," Day said."He is a really fast, violent player. When he got here, we quickly learned that there was more to him than just that.
Hartford will have those instincts tested on Saturday, when he became the first freshman to start for the Buckeyes' defense since Jyaire Brown debuted as a starter in Ohio State's Week 4 battle with Wisconsin last season.
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