Ohio State football recruiting: 4-star safety Malik Hartford pledges to Buckeyes
Ohio State came into the 2023 football recruiting cycle looking for pieces to add on defense, and it has after 4-star defensive back Malik Hartford announced he committed to the Buckeyes.
Hartford, a junior at Lakota West High in West Chester, Ohio, chose Ohio State over a series of other offers from Power Five schools.
With the addition of Hartford, Ohio State moved to No. 6 overall in the latest college football recruiting rankings, according to 247Sports. OSU owns the elite ranking despite having just six commitments so far in the process.
Hartford is also the fourth Ohio player to sign with the Buckeyes, alongside Will Smith, Joshua Padilla, and Luke Montgomery.
Analysts rate Malik Hartford as a top 10 safety and top 100 player nationally.
Defensive back figures to be an area of interest for Ohio State after it ranked No. 97 in college football a year ago against the pass. Its secondary was instrumental in a pair of consequential losses against Oregon and Michigan in 2021, and the Buckeyes' defensive unit as a whole failed to compliment the team's No. 1 nationally-ranked offense.
Jim Knowles is entering Year 1 as Ohio State's defensive coordinator, a year after coaching Oklahoma State's defense to a No. 3 national ranking.
Ohio State football 2023 recruiting class
Luke Montgomery
4-star OT | 6-5, 270 | Findlay, Ohio
Ty Lockwood
4-star TE | 6-5, 225 | Thompson's Station, Tenn.
Joshua Padilla
4-star IOL | 6-4, 265 | Dayton, Ohio
Malik Hartford
4-star DB | 6-2, 175 | West Chester, Ohio
Cedrick Hawkins
4-star DB | 6-0, 175 | Cocoa, Fla.
Will Smith
3-star DL | 6-3, 260 | Dublin, Ohio
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