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Former five-star recruit sends explicitly clear message to Ohio State’s staff regarding a position change he wants after beating Purdue

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Brandon Little | Last updated Nov 10, 2024 11:02 AM ET

Ohio State is 8-1 on the season after blasting Purdue 45-0 in Week 11. The Buckeyes now have regular season games left against Northwestern, Indiana, and Michigan.

The Buckeyes put together a nice showing against the Boilermakers on offense and defense. As expected, Ohio State was able to rotate plenty of bodies in late and get some playing time for their depth.

One player that got to play a decent amount was third-year linebacker C.J. Hicks, who is a former top-10 recruit and five-star that the Buckeyes brought in from southern Ohio. Hicks hasn’t been able to carve out a consistent role with the Buckeyes and now it appears that he could be a bit frustrated.

“They need to put me on the f**king edge,” Hicks told The Podcast’s Austin Ward after the game.

After playing 16 snaps in Ohio State’s shutout win over Purdue, C.J. Hicks told @AWardSports that “they need to put me on the f*cking edge.” pic.twitter.com/ALhMqgvw9T
— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) November 10, 2024

Ohio State used Hicks late in the game as a JACK and Hicks was able to rush the passer a bit. Hicks finished with four tackles against Purdue and defended a pass. Hicks nearly had his second full sack of the season, but instead, it was a missed opportunity and Boilermakers quarterback Hudson Card was able to evade him. With his explicit statement, it is obvious that Hicks is ready to embrace a new position.

So far on the season, Hicks has 19 tackles and two of them are for a loss. It is by far the most productive season that Hicks has had with Ohio State. In his career, he has 33 tackles in 34 games.

Ohio State has their linebacker group set with Cody Simon and Sonny Styles being on the field the most. Both have played well this season and sophomore linebacker Arvell Reese has seen more snaps than Hicks as well.

At this point, the 6-foot-3, 233-pound Hicks may be better suited off the edge for the Buckeyes. He could be a player they utilize on late downs and strictly let him rush the passer. Ohio State probably wouldn’t make this move this late in the season, however, unless it really is a plus to them.

Through nearly three years at Ohio State, it has been tough for Hicks to get on the field and it is easy to see why he could be frustrated. Now, he wants a position change and he’s said it himself.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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