Buckeyes Now

Former Ohio State Standout Lands New NFL Deal With Top NFC Contender

This player was a superstar for the Ohio State Buckeyes but he has never been able to tap into that potential at the NFL level.

Andrew Kulha

Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jeff Okudah celebrates a third down stop during the second quarter of the NCAA football game against the Wisconsin Badgers. ghows-LK-200418814-a6384c09.jpg
Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jeff Okudah celebrates a third down stop during the second quarter of the NCAA football game against the Wisconsin Badgers. ghows-LK-200418814-a6384c09.jpg / ADAM CAIRNS/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services, LLC
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It has been a wild ride for former Ohio State star cornerback Jeff Okudah since entering the NFL. That's a ride that has now landed him back in the NFC North, but this time with the Minnesota Vikings.

ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that Okudah, 26, has signed a one-year contract to play with the Vikings in 2025. He had multiple suitors, but ultimately chose to sign with a team that is making a big push to be not just the top team in the NFC North, but the top team in the NFC as a whole. The chance to play for Brian Flores — who is undoubtedly one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL — also played a role in Okudah signing with the Vikings.

Okudah is a bit of a flyer for the Vikings at this point of his career. He played in just six games last season for the Houston Texans due to injury. He notched just nine tackles (eight solo) and a pass defended for Houston.

Unfortunately, Okudah has never lived up to the star power he showed off at Ohio State. He was selected No. 3 overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2020 NFL Draft but notched just two interceptions and 10 passes defended in three seasons before they traded him to the Atlanta Falcons for a fifth-round pick.

He played in 13 games in 2023 for Atlanta, but he didn't snag an interception and he only defended three passes.

Okudah has just two total interceptions over five seasons, so unless he becomes a superstar for the Vikings he may go down as one of the bigger draft busts in recent memory. Again, that's not to disparage his time in Columbus, because he was great for the Buckeyes.

He was the first Ohio State quarterback ever to earn unanimous All-America honors. He secured 29 tackles, three interceptions, nine passes defended and two forced fumbles in 2019, which was the All-America season that got him drafted No. 3 overall.

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Andrew Kulha
ANDREW KULHA

Andrew Kulha has been a professional sports writer for over 15 years, starting as an intern at Bleacher Report in 2010 and working his way through basically the entire online sports media landscape.

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