Lakota West grad happily finding his role on Buckeye defense

“I feel like I’m more mature in what I’m doing, and I feel like I can just go out there and play and have fun. I think that’s the biggest thing for me,” Hartford said Tuesday. “Don’t get too caught up on the last play.”

Hartford started the second game of the season last year but was pulled after a rocky first drive.

He fared better in a start against Michigan State in November, but the true freshman was in middle of one of the pivotal plays of the season at Michigan two weeks later.

With the Wolverines facing a third-and-10 in Ohio State territory in the second quarter, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy wizzed a pass by Hartford’s ear to Roman Wilson for a touchdown that padded the hosts’ lead in a game they would eventually win 30-24 to secure a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and continue their march to the national championship.

Hartford ended up playing 217 snaps as a true freshman, including 157 on defense, and he looked like he would be in line to snag one of the few open starting spots on a defense that is expected to be one of the best in the nation this fall.

However, Ohio State added a handful of impact transfers in January, including Caleb Downs.

Like Hartford, Downs was a highly regarded member of the 2023 recruiting class, but Downs turned in a Freshman All-America season while leading the Crimson Tide in tackles en route to an SEC championship and College Football Playoff appearance.

While Downs was getting acclimated to his new team during spring practice, Hartford’s participation was limited by a shoulder injury.

With that healed up, Hartford has continued to focus on bulking up so he can be a more versatile contributor. That includes being able to play either safety spot, the “Bandit” (boundary) or “Adjuster” (middle/strong side).

Now wearing No. 9 and weighing in at 200 pounds, the 6-foot-3 Hartford said both spots have similar job descriptions — more so than last year — and he feels better about being able to fill a gap against the run.

He also appreciates the presence Downs has brought to the safety room.

“I think the great thing about Caleb is he’s such like a likable person, a likable teammate, a great teammate. He’ll help you. He’ll help any of the teammates,” Hartford said. “He definitely knows what he’s doing. He’s a great player. And for me, he just pushes me to be better every day.”

Hartford is one of several Buckeyes who aren’t likely to be in the starting lineup when the season begins at the end of the month but could play large roles before all is said and done.

Backup quarterback Devin Brown is the most obvious, and depth at offensive line is always critical.

Safety might be next, though.

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles builds his defense around what the last line of defense can do, asking his safeties to handle multiple jobs each play to make everyone else’s job more simple and open up strategic possibilities.

Senior starting Bandit Lathan Ransom is back for one more go-round, and he could form one of the best safety duos in the country with Downs.

But the unit took a notable step back last year when Ransom was lost to a foot injury in late October, especially when it came to stopping the run, so a better Plan B there is important for a team with hopes of winning it all this fall.

Knowles said early in preseason he was concerned about depth at safety, but safeties coach Matt Guerrieri said those are being alleviated this month with the progress of Hartford and true freshman Jaylen McClain, among others.

“There’s been a pool of guys that have done a really good job competing this camp,” Guerrieri said. “I know Jim talked about it the other day when he had his press conference with you guys, just growing the depth of the safety position. I knew that coming here that was a critical thing. You’ve got these guys that are battle-tested at the top, but as the season goes you’ve got to have more than just a couple guys so that’s been a huge point of emphasis for us, putting them in different rotations throughout camp, putting a lot on their plate and holding them accountable.

“They’ve done a really good job of responding.”