It goes without saying that Ohio State faces an uphill climb in 2017 to replace three first-round picks in their secondary but this week hasn’t exactly helped out on that front as a second defensive back announced he’s on his way out of Columbus.
Sophomore cornerback Rodjay Burns announced on his Instagram on Friday that he would be headed back to his hometown and will play at Louisville once he’s eligible in 2018.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUAMm_3Bp2n/
Burns did see action in six games last year for the Buckeyes and even recorded a pick-six in the team’s opener. While playing time was likely one of the factors involved in the decision to join the Cardinals, he also cited his father’s health as a driving reason for the return to Louisville.
Fellow OSU corner Joshua Norwood confirmed he was leaving the program earlier in the week which, when combined with Burns’ departure, will put even more pressure on Urban Meyer’s stellar 2017 recruiting class to come in and play right away in the secondary for the team this season.
Luckily for the Buckeyes, there’s a pretty solid track record of reloading on the back end of their defense in recent years.