Surprising Defender Named Ohio State Buckeyes' Most Important Player

The Ohio State Buckeyes are loaded with talent top to bottom, but there are some X-factors on the roster worth noting.

Oct 8, 2022; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) helmet and gloves during warm-ups before the NCAA Division I football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Osu22msu Kwr 14 / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA

The Ohio State Buckeyes boast arguably the nation's most talented roster, with immensely gifted offensive players and a fierce defense with elite ability at every level.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that Ohio State doesn't have any X-factors.

Cameron Teague Robinson of The Athletic published a piece where he listed the 10 most important players on the Buckeyes heading into 2024, and linebacker C.J. Hicks topped his list.

The casual fan probably wouldn't think of Hicks, who amassed a grand total of 14 tackles over the course of his first two seasons at Columbus.

But Hicks will almost surely see a widely expanded role in 2024 following the departure of Tommy Eichenberg, and given that he was formerly a five-star recruit out of Dayton, big things are expected from the junior this year.

Robinson calls Hicks "the difference maker" in Ohio State's relatively unproven linebacking corps, citing his size and nose for the ball as traits that could make him a key cog for the Buckeyes.

He qualifies his statement that Hicks' instincts and athleticism may be question marks.

Keep in mind that Robinson is absolutely not calling Hicks Ohio State's best player. He is merely stating that his development is critical to the Buckeyes' success in 2024, and it's hard to argue with that assessment.

Hicks has also had plenty of time to learn over the first two years of his collegiate tenure, as he watched from the bench for the better part of 2022 and 2023.

We'll see how all of the information Hicks has absorbed translates to the field starting late next month.