Justin Hilliard is Fifth Buckeye to Accept Senior Bowl Invite

Hilliard has finished off his Buckeye career and intends on trying to make a career out of playing in the NFL.

Ohio State linebacker Justin Hilliard is the latest Buckeye to accept an invitation to the Reese's Senior Bowl.

Playing in the Senior Bowl means Hilliard is not going to take advantage of the NCAA's "free year" for all of it's student-athletes that chose to play through the pandemic. Hilliard earned his master's degree in December and told reporters during media availability leading up to the College Football Playoff that he was preparing for his final stretch run as a Buckeye, saying "I have nothing left to give Buckeye Nation."

Hilliard joins fellow linebackers Tuf Borland and Baron Browning, along with Jonathon Cooper and Trey Sermon as Ohio State representatives in the Senior Bowl this year. Left tackle Thayer Munford also accepted an invitation, but he is no longer listed on the Reese's Senior Bowl website among the accepted invites, so he will not be making the trip any more.

Hilliard is the longest-tenured Buckeye, playing in his sixth season because of a couple of different fairly severe injuries. He tore the biceps muscle in each arm on separate occasions. Hilliard is a Cincinnati native and starred for St. Xavier High School before traveling up I-71 to Columbus to play for the Buckeyes. He had an especially nice showing in the College Football Playoff and finished the season with 33 total tackles, a team-high five tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.

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