Safety Lathan Ransom is the ninth former Buckeye off the board in the 2025 NFL draft after being selected No. 121 overall by the Carolina Panthers.
Ransom joined Ohio State as a member of the 2020 recruiting class, rated the No. 167 prospect in the country and the No. 11 safety in the class at that point. He spent five years with the Buckeyes, overcoming multiple injury issues throughout his time in Columbus to help the 2024 team win a national championship.
He played in 55 games and made 37 starts during his five years with the program, first taking on a significant role in his sophomore season, playing in all 13 games with 38 tackles. At the end of that season in the Rose Bowl win against Utah, Ransom broke his left fibula but was somehow able to make it back for the next fall camp and took over the starting safety role early in the season.
He had a strong 2023 season as a senior for the first seven games, but suffered another injury against Wisconsin and was forced to sit the remainder of the season, which was a motivator when it came to making a return for a fifth season with the Buckeyes.
However, he was able to play a fully healthy 2024 season and finished the year with a career-high 76 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two passes defended and an interception while also forcing three fumbles. He finished with 227 career tackles with the Buckeyes and three interceptions.
Now Ransom joins the Panthers to try to earn a spot on the roster in training camp, where he will be behind starting safeties Tre’von Moehrig and Damani Richardson.
