Ohio State Safety Lathan Ransom Returning For 5th Season

The Ohio State Buckeyes are getting back one of their top defensive backs next season, with Lathan Ransome announcing his return.

Matt Galatzan | Jan 5, 2024

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Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes got their second big announcement of a returning player of the week on Friday morning, with starting safety Lathan Ransom announcing his intentions to return for the 2024 season.

"It's not easy to leave a team. It's much harder to leave a brotherhood," Ransom said in his announcement. "This football program and this university mean too much to me, and we have unfinished business. After much thought and prayer, I have decided to return to the Ohio State University for my final season in 2024."

The announcement comes just two days after standout defensive lineman Tyleik Williams also declared his intentions to return to Colombus.

In 2024, he will likely start alongside Sonny Styles at safety, with Josh Proctor leaving Colombus for a chance at the NFL.

Maryland Terrapins Postgame Notebook Lathan Ransom — USA Today-Sports

When healthy, Ransom is one of the best defensive players on the Buckeyes roster, and will be leaned on even more heavily due to the exit of Proctor, and the likely losses of Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock to the NFL.

Early in the fourth quarter of their win vs. Wisconsin earlier this season, Ransom was knocked out of the game with what appeared to be a lower-body injury.

The injury appeared to come on a non-contact play, with Ransom immediately heading to the injury tent for further evaluation. Ransom was then carted to the locker room by the Ohio State medical staff.

Buckeyes DL Tyleik Williams Staying at Ohio State

It was then revealed that he would miss the remainder of the regular season with the injury.

Sitting fourth on the team in tackles at the time of his injury, Ransom had 31 total tackles (20 solo and 11 assisted), to go along with one interception, two pass breakups, a forced fumble, a QB hurry, and .5 tackles for loss coming into the game.

Ransom has suffered a serious injury before, being carted off of the field in the 2022 Rose Bowl as well, breaking his leg against the Utah Utes. However, he was able to come back from that injury and return to his previous form as a star on the Ohio State defense.

Published Jan 5, 2024

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and the Managing Editor of BuckeyesNow.com and TheGroveReport.com He is also the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com