This afternoon, our favorite eater of souls made public what had been suspected for quite some time, as Johnathan Hankins has decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.
I have decided, with the support of my family, to forego my senior season at Ohio State in order to enter the NFL Draft. I will always be grateful for the family I have gained here at Ohio State.
I want to thank coach Meyer, coach Vrabel and strength coach Marotti for bringing the best out of me as a football player and person, and for their constant support. I also want to thank coach Tressel and coach Heacock for recruiting me and giving me an opportunity to be a part of this great school and great program.
My three years at The Ohio State University have provided amazing experiences for me, and they are years I will never forget or take for granted. My plans are to return to finish my degree and to continue to be a part of this brotherhood of Buckeyes. I am so appreciative for the support I have received from my teammates, the coaching staff and administrators at Ohio State, and of course, my family.
Hankins was a late add during the recruiting process; many speculated that he only got a shot at being a Buckeye after Sharif Floyd chose to play for Coach Meyer at Florida. In three seasons, though, he became a defender that you needed to address on every offensive play, and a leader in the Ohio State locker room.
Hankins amassed 55 tackles this season in spite of being double teamed on almost every play. His four tackles for a loss this year was less than his previous numbers; much of that was due to team looking to get the ball on the perimeter as quickly as possible to minimize Hankins and the rest of the defensive line’s ability to create havoc.
A candidate on almost every pre-season and post-season awards watch list (he got our Heisman vote as well), Hankins is projected as a first round candidate in the upcoming draft. Given the career expectancy for defensive and offensive linemen, I have no reason to question this decision.
Godspeed, Johnathan… Glad you’re a Buckeye, Bro.
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