Marcus Williamson Primed for Larger Role in Buckeye Secondary

After the top three Ohio State DB's got drafted last April, Williamson will have a major role in the Buckeyes' 2020 success. Read more about why he's embracing the challenge.

Riddled with injuries his first two years as a Buckeye, senior defensive back Marcus Williamson is finally ready to become a consistent piece for the Ohio State secondary.

Speaking with the media on Tuesday, the former four-star prospect and Westerville native seemed eager to step into a larger role for a Buckeye team that begins the year as a heavy favorite to repeat as Big Ten Champions.

“I haven’t had major injuries, but I’ve had my struggles,” said the two-time Scholar Athlete. “Now that I’ve stepped into a leadership role, I just love this team so much and I just want to do whatever it takes to win. I’m excited and I’m ready for Week 1.”

Williamson, who had seven tackles for the Buckeyes in 2019, will look to have an even bigger impact for an Ohio State secondary that lost three starters to the draft in Damon Arnette, Jordan Fuller and Jeff Okudah.

In addition to the loss of on-field talent, defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley also left to take over head coaching responsibilities at Boston College. Williamson, however, spoke highly of the depth in Ohio State’s coaching staff and particularly coach Kerry Coombs, who is thrilled to be back as the defensive coordinator and DB's coach after spending the last two years with the Tennessee Titans.

“If you know anything about Coach Coombs, he always brings the energy. He’s brought a new life to the secondary.” Williamson said. “Coach Coombs has been here for a long time and he’s really able to bring that culture and what we stand for here at Ohio State. It’s great to have him.”

Williamson, who transferred from Westerville South in central Ohio to IMG Academy his senior year, also discussed the experience gained from multiple coaches over his time as a Buckeye.

“We’ve had a lot of changes in our coaching, guys move up and move on to the next level and I think with all that coaching, it has brought so much knowledge with different techniques and styles.”

One thing Marcus Williamson made clear on Tuesday is that through injuries, coaching changes, and loss of key players, he is ready and eager to play a larger role in Ohio State’s bid for a Big Ten and national title.

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