The ongoing early exodus at Ohio State has, as expected, continued.
Coming off an embarrassing playoff semifinal shutout loss to Clemson Saturday night, the Buckeyes sustained a significant personnel loss two days later, with standout safety Malik Hooker announced that he will forego his remaining eligibility and make himself available for the April NFL draft. Just last month, Hooker indicated that he would be returning to Columbus for another season with the Buckeyes.
However, as he’s a borderline consensus Top-10 selection according to most draftniks, the change of heart is far from stunning.pic.twitter.com/lpi34QAzHN
— Malik Hooker (@MalikHooker24) January 2, 2017
His seven interceptions tied for third nationally and were tops in the Big Ten. Three of those the redshirt sophomore returned for touchdowns, the most of any FBS player this season. He was one of just seven players to return more than one for a score.
Hooker was a consensus All-American and semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back. The breakout season came one year after Hooker played sparingly and two years after he took a redshirt as a true freshman.