Two more Buckeyes have shed their black stripes this week, as freshman wideout Jerquaden Guilford and sophomore kicker Connor Hawkins earned the honors following Ohio State’s Wednesday practice.
A product of Northrop in Fort Wayne, Ind., Guilford was a former top-50 recruit and the No. 6 wide receiver in the class of 2026, according to 247Sports composite.
While he was the second-highest-ranked receiver in Ohio State’s class, trailing only former five-star Chris Henry Jr., Guilford appears to have been surpassed on the depth chart by three-star wide receiver Brock Boyd.
Boyd and Henry are expected to be among Ohio State’s top six receivers, according to head coach Ryan Day, meaning Guilford will likely fall just behind them. The 6-3, 195-pound wideout is projected to find himself buried on the depth chart alongside sophomores De’Zie Jones and Phillip Bell and fellow freshman Jaeden Ricketts.
Hawkins, however, transferred to Ohio State this offseason after two years with Baylor. The Liberty Hill, Texas, native played in just two games as a true freshman in 2024, missing his only field-goal attempt and converting all five of his extra-point attempts.
Hawkins took a significant step forward in his sophomore campaign, going 18-for-22 on field-goal attempts while converting all 37 of his extra-point attempts.
He was also 3-for-4 on field goals from 50-plus yards. Ohio State has not made a field goal of 50 or more yards since Blake Haubeil connected on a 55-yarder during a 52-3 win over Northwestern on Oct. 18, 2019.
The pair are the 12th and 13th Ohio State players to have shed their black stripes this fall.
