The most significant position competition is given a novel twist by the new Ohio State football reality—Jimmy Watkins

In Columbus, spring doesn’t just mean warmer weather and blooming trees—it means position battles, quarterback controversies, and new narratives taking shape in the heart of Buckeye country. For years, the quarterback position has been the center of attention for Ohio State football. But in 2025, the most significant position competition has taken a different turn—twisted by the changing tides of the college football landscape, by Ryan Day’s evolving philosophy, and most notably, by a player whose name is just starting to resonate nationwide: Jimmy Watkins.

Watkins, a redshirt freshman from Massillon, Ohio, was a four-star recruit with elite athleticism and a mind for the game that turned heads during bowl prep last season. But this spring, he’s done more than just flash potential—he’s complicated what many thought would be a two-man race for the Buckeyes’ starting safety job.

Yet this twist isn’t just about one player stepping up. It’s about how Ohio State is redefining roles, mixing personnel groupings, and leaning into a multi-dimensional defensive scheme built around hybrid players. And in that scheme, Jimmy Watkins may just be the prototype.

A Changing of the Guard at Safety

Coming into 2025, the Buckeyes lost key defensive stalwarts to the NFL Draft, including All-Big Ten safety Lathan Ransom. That left glaring holes in the back end of a defense that had otherwise been elite in 2024.

It was expected that veterans Malik Hartford and Ja’Had Carter would battle it out for starting roles at the safety spots. Hartford is rangy, instinctive, and technically sound. Carter, the Syracuse transfer entering his final year, has the experience and physicality to command the middle of the field.

But just as the Buckeyes started installing new looks under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, another name kept rising—Watkins.

“He just doesn’t make the same mistake twice,” Knowles said after the second spring scrimmage. “His understanding of spacing, timing, leverage—it’s all coming along faster than we expected. He gives us options we didn’t even know we had.”

And therein lies the twist. In previous seasons, Ohio State’s defense was structured around more traditional roles. The cover safety handled slot duties. The adjuster was the deeper free safety. The bandit played more in the box. But Knowles and Day are now embracing multiplicity—using three safeties in a rotating shell that demands not just coverage ability, but positional versatility, communication, and pre-snap disguise.

Watkins, with his background as a high school quarterback and track athlete, is uniquely suited to this challenge.

The Jimmy Watkins Effect

Jimmy Watkins might not look imposing on first glance—standing 6-foot-1, 195 pounds—but he plays much bigger than his size. Teammates rave about his ability to cover tight ends one play and blitz off the edge the next.

“He’s got that edge to him,” wide receiver Carnell Tate said. “He’ll be quiet all day, but then you line up across from him and he’s in your face, reading your route like he knows the playbook.”

His instincts have been a key differentiator in scrimmages. On multiple occasions during the Buckeyes’ open practice, Watkins diagnosed RPOs and bubble screens before the quarterback even finished his mesh read. That kind of anticipation is rare, especially for a player still so early in his development.

More than that, though, is how Watkins is freeing up the rest of the secondary. With him playing the new “rover” role—essentially a hybrid between safety and linebacker—Hartford can slide back into a true center-field position, where his range is maximized. Carter, meanwhile, can attack downhill more often and disguise blitzes.

Knowles, who faced criticism in 2022 for being too rigid, now looks like a defensive coordinator reborn. “Jimmy’s emergence means we don’t have to force anything,” he said. “We can let guys settle into what they do best.”

Ohio State’s New Defensive Identity

While Ohio State’s identity under Ryan Day has always leaned toward the offensive side, the 2025 team is beginning to show signs of a defensive-first mindset. The defensive line is deep and experienced, led by JT Tuimoloau and Kenyatta Jackson. The linebacker room is stabilized by returning captain C.J. Hicks.

But it’s the secondary—often a liability in big games—that is now giving the Buckeyes their swagger back. And it’s thanks to the new philosophy being implemented this spring.

Instead of pigeonholing players into outdated positions, Ohio State is using a “positionless” model on defense. It’s a concept borrowed from the NFL and the basketball world: if a player can run, cover, and hit, find a role for him.

Jimmy Watkins is the poster child for that model. He isn’t just competing for a starting job; he’s redefining what the safety position means in Columbus.

The Recruiting Ramifications

If Watkins does lock down the starting job or earns heavy snaps, the message to recruits will be clear: if you can ball, you’ll play—no matter your star rating or depth chart status.

That could help Ohio State in the battle for elite defensive talent nationally. While the Buckeyes have had no trouble attracting offensive playmakers, the top-end defensive recruiting has sometimes lagged behind the likes of Georgia or Alabama. With Knowles’ scheme now offering versatility and early playing time, players who might’ve leaned SEC could start looking north.

“Watkins is a great story for us,” said safeties coach Perry Eliano. “He worked, waited, and now he’s not just a depth guy—he’s a difference-maker.”

Spring Game Looming Large

The annual spring game—set for this weekend—is no longer just a fan-friendly exhibition. It’s a proving ground, especially for Watkins.

If he shines under the lights in the ‘Shoe, it could tip the scales in his favor. Coaches insist the competition will continue into the fall, but spring momentum matters. And according to sources inside the program, Watkins has made the deepest impression this month.

“He’s forcing us to think differently,” one assistant coach said anonymously. “This wasn’t in the plan. But now, he’s the plan.”

The Human Element

Watkins’ journey isn’t just a football story. He’s the son of a former Marine and a nurse, and his discipline shows up on film and in the classroom. He was nearly a track scholarship athlete, with a 10.6-second 100m time in high school. But football always had his heart.

At Massillon Washington High, he was used as a wildcat quarterback, free safety, and even returner. That Swiss-army knife mentality is now his biggest weapon in college.

After his early enrollment, Watkins spent most of 2024 quietly building strength, watching film, and absorbing every defensive meeting he could.

“I had to learn patience,” he said during spring media day. “Coming from high school where I played every snap, it was tough. But I knew my time would come.”

Now, his time is here—and the Buckeyes are better for it.

A Glimpse of the Future

If Ohio State does ride the momentum of Watkins’ emergence into the season, expect their defense to look faster, more unpredictable, and more aggressive than in years past.

Opposing offenses may find themselves game-planning for a safety who doesn’t stay in one place. One play, he’s in the box blowing up a run. The next, he’s 15 yards deep intercepting a post route. That kind of player doesn’t just fill a role—he changes games.

And for Ryan Day, whose tenure has been defined by offensive fireworks and heartbreaking defensive collapses, Watkins might be the symbol of a new era: one where the Buckeyes don’t just outscore opponents—they outsmart them.

 The Novel Twist

In the past, Ohio State’s most important position competitions revolved around quarterbacks, receivers, or cornerbacks. But in 2025, it’s the emergence of a rover safety—Jimmy Watkins—that’s reshaping the narrative.

More than just an athlete, more than just a “next man up,” Watkins is a catalyst for a schematic evolution that might finally get the Buckeyes back over the championship hump.

No, this isn’t the storyline fans were expecting. But sometimes, the most powerful shifts come not with a boom, but with a whisper—a player quietly working in the shadows, waiting for his chance to change everything.

And now, with spring nearing its end, Jimmy Watkins is stepping into the light. The position battle is far from over, but the twist has already been written.