Embattled Former Ohio State Star Gets Second Chance With NFL Contender

Back in 2020, the Ohio State Buckeyes placed an incredibly talented cornerback in the first round of the NFL Draft, as Damon Arnette went 19th overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Unfortunately, Arnette's NFL tenure was short lived. He spent just two seasons with the Raiders, playing in a grand total of 13 games and never appeared in another regular-season game since.

While injuries certainly played a role for Arnette early on, so did off-the-field issues, which resulted in the Dallas native failing to re-establish himself with an NFL squad. He then made his way to the UFL in 2024, where he spent one year with the Houston Roughnecks.

Well, now, the 28-year-old is getting another NFL opportunity, a the Houston Texans have signed him to a one-year contract.

Arnette was brilliant during his time at Ohio State (2016-19), cementing himself as a critical piece of the Buckeyes' secondary as soon as his sophomore year. He logged 44 tackles, a couple of interceptions and eight passes defended that season and posted very similar numbers over his last two years at Columbus.

The Raiders selected him in the first round expecting him to develop into a key member of their own defensive backfield, but obviously, things did not exactly work out for Arnette.

Now, Arnette is older and wiser, so perhaps he will be able to take full advantage of this opportunity with the Texans and stick in the league this time.

Of course, he will face an uphill battle in making Houston's roster, as the Texans are pretty loaded at the cornerback position.