40 best Ohio State football players this century, ranked

Best Ohio State football players this century 22. Marshon Lattimore – Cornerback 2015-16

There are many stars in college football. It’s a sport that can breed four or five stars per team. The quarterback is always a star when they are at least decent, and the running back usually follows suit. There could be one or two or three star wide receivers. On defense, there can be a few stars as well. However, a cornerback has to be really good to be a star. Marshon Lattimore was a star with a capital S.

Lattimore had a slow start to his career at Ohio State. He redshirted his freshman year, then shoulder injuries forced him to redshirt in his second year too. In his third year, he showed that star power in a big way.

Lattimore was tested here or there early in the season, but two interceptions against Tulsa and then an interception against Oklahoma in Week 3 showed it was a bad idea to throw his way. He ended the season with nine deflections, and he made 41 total tackles on the year. His speed and skill overcame his previous injuries, and he was one of the better cornerbacks in the Big Ten.

He left after the one full season in Columbus, and it’s hard to call it the wrong decision. He was taken 11th overall, and he’s one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. However, he was on pace to be really, really special. It seems his star power was too much to hold onto in college, and he needed to ball out in the NFL.