Ohio State Freshman Defensive End Joshua Mickens Loses Black Stripe

Another Buckeye became an official member of the team Wednesday, as freshman defensive end Joshua Mickens shed his black stripe.

Mickens, a former four-star prospect out of Indianapolis, has yet to appear in a game for the Buckeyes, though with his black stripe being lost, his Ohio State debut could be on the horizon. In high school, he finished with 74 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks as a senior.

He is the 15th freshman to lose his black stripe and the first since quarterback Lincoln Kienholz and defensive lineman Jason Moore did so on Sept. 28, and they are just three of five players – along with long snapper John Ferlmann and walk-on safety Brenten Jones – to lose theirs since the season began.