Former Ohio State cornerback Sevyn Banks announced on Tuesday morning that he is transferring to LSU in order to take advantage of his extra year of eligibility.
A former four-star prospect from Orlando (Fla.) Jones, Banks played in eight games for the Buckeyes during his senior season he dealt with a lingering knee injury that kept him out of the first two games and a hip injury that sidelined him for the final three – including the Rose Bowl win over Utah.
Banks finished the year with just seven tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass break up in 312 defensive snaps, which was the third-most among all cornerbacks on the roster behind only freshman Denzel Burke (731) and redshirt junior Cam Brown (458).
Although he privately declared his intentions of entering the 2022 NFL Draft after the season, further inspection showed Banks’ hip injury was more severe than originally thought. That’s why he withdrew his name from the draft and entered his name into the transfer portal in early February.
Because Banks was not enrolled in classes this semester as he contemplated his future, the NCAA would have needed to grant him a waiver if he wanted to return to Ohio State. The Buckeyes are over the scholarship limit, though, which is why both sides ultimately moved on, as head coach Ryan Day indicated in January.
At this point in the spring, Banks’ transfer has little to no impact on Ohio State, as Burke and Brown return as starters and sophomore Jordan Hancock and redshirt freshman Jakailin Johnson are pushing for the playing time. There’s also true freshmen Jyaire Brown and Ryan Turner on the roster, so the Buckeyes are conceivably three-deep at the position.
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