Ohio State Officially Announces Hiring of C.J. Barnett

Barnett, a former OSU captain, takes over for Ryan Stamper as the program's director of player development for external affairs.

Ohio State has officially announced the hire of former Buckeye captain C.J. Barnett as the program's new Director of Player Development for External Affairs. Barnett joins the Buckeyes in this role after serving as a member of the Columbus Division of Police over the last two years.

Barnett replaces Ryan Stamper, who left last month to take a new job with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Barnett begins his new job on Wednesday.

This news was first reported on Wednesday, Feb. 10, but was confirmed by the university this afternoon.

“C.J. is the perfect fit for what we were looking for in terms of our player development position,” Day said. “We’ll miss Ryan Stamper, as he helped our program become the standard when it comes to helping players prepare for life and success off the field. C.J. is going to come in and build onto that standard and enhance it, too. His experiences as a player and as a member of the Columbus Police Department make him exactly the kind of person our players can learn and grow from. We’re thrilled that he’s back with our program.”

Barnett graduated from the Columbus Police Academy in 2018 and was on patrol duty for the city of Columbus for the last two years. His career as a police officer started after a stint in the NFL with the New York Giants.

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“I am really pleased to be coming back to work for a program that has given so much to me,” Barnett said. “I look forward to using my experiences to become a trusted advocate and resource for our players in all areas of their lives. I look forward to getting to work for Coach Day and this staff, and on behalf of the players, and to help grow the already strong culture that exists in this program.”

Barnett played for the Buckeyes four four years from 2009-2013 and was a starting safety for three years. He led the Buckeyes with 75 tackles in 2011. He finished his career with eight interceptions and was a team captain as a senior. He was part of the school-record 24-game winning streak that spanned the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He was an All-American during that 2013 season and is perhaps most remembered for intercepting Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner in 2012 to clinch the sixth undefeated and untied season in program history.

Originally from Dayton, Barnet graduated from Northmont High School in 2009. He earned his degree from Ohio State in 2013 in sociology and criminology. 

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