Ohio State football has big plans for Syracuse transfer JaHad Carter -

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ja’Had Carter took the field for the opening day of the Ohio State Buckeyes’ preseason camp in what looked to be the starting rotation of safeties.

It was Carter, Lathan Ransom and Sonny Styles together for the first day. On Tuesday, safeties coach Perry Eliano didn’t necessarily go on record to say those are the three starters at the moment. Instead, he said Ohio State is still working on which players will fit where when the games begin.

“We’re just trying to find the best mix and chemistry,” Eliano said.

Media members have been allowed to watch one practice so far during camp and will be able to watch practice Friday. Still, it would make sense that Ohio State has experimented with a different trio since Thursday because the coaches wouldn’t be doing their jobs if they didn’t try different things in camp.

Still, Eliano is doing a good job keeping the way they are leaning for a lineup under wraps. It could be that Ohio State isn’t certain yet how the rotation will look.

One thing that is certain, however, is that despite missing half of the spring with a knee injury, Carter, a Syracuse transfer, is going to get plenty of playing time. And most likely as a starter. It’s a matter of where he plays, not if, and he doesn’t have much of a preference.

“I’ll play anything,” Carter said. “I’m ready to go.”

Eliano suggested that people outside the program are making too big of a deal about which position his safeties play in practice. To start at Ohio State, these players have to be able to play each safety spot.

“For us, we are a safety-driven defense. They have to know everything,” Eliano said. “It’s our jobs as coaches to prepare them for the what if because things happen; it’s a long season.”

That has shown to be true, and it’s one of the reasons Ohio State went after Carter so hard in the portal.

Eliano has described him as versatile countless times since Carter signed his transfer papers. Although he primarily played field safety at Syracuse, he spent time all over the secondary for the Orange. He played corner in high school and even receiver in high school.

So it made sense that in the first eight spring practices, Carter played primarily at nickel safety and that his move to the “adjuster” or free safety role in camp has been seamless. Both positions have different responsibilities and lean toward players’ strengths and weaknesses in Jim Knowles’ defense.

For the nickel position, safeties must be able to cover more receivers in the slot, but that’s not their only job. They must be able to help in the running game. Ohio State leaves the “adjuster” as the high safety, usually directing traffic in the secondary and watching over the top of the defense.

“I feel like I can do everything so wherever I’m needed that’s where I’m going to go,” Carter said.

Eliano likes the sound of that and pointed to the mental part of the game.

“They have to have a great grasp of football first and foremost,” he said. “They can be a good athlete, but if you don’t understand and can’t process, then you’re going to struggle whether it’s here at Ohio State or the NFL. What we do defensively, we have to know ball.”

To put it simply, Carter “knows ball.” He has been put in positions throughout his career to flex his brain, including his time at Syracuse. He had to rely on his mental capacity in the spring, too, when he was unable to get on the field.

He’s a player who naturally learns through on-field reps.

“He’s one of those guys who you can say something to, and he corrects it on the field,” Knowles said. “That’s rare.”

Still, learning Knowles’ scheme this spring, without playing, took extra time in film study. Carter found himself at home, watching film on his iPad or phone during the spring and summer trying to make up for the time he was missing on the field.

The work he put in by himself and the time he spent going over things with his teammates like Josh Proctor, Ransom and others helped prepare him and not miss a beat.

When he connects the IQ with his athleticism and ball-tracking ability, he gets plays like his interception against Pittsburgh when he skied in the air and won a contested catch.

He earned the name “ball hawk” at Syracuse because he made so many plays on the ball and had three interceptions last year. Last year’s adjuster was Ronnie Hickman, who finished with only one interception but led the team with seven pass breakups.

That role is something Carter is comfortable in with his new team.

“That comes from playing receiver in high school, ball in the air and go get it,” he said. “That’s my mindset, ‘Ball in the air, go get it’ and make sure I’m aggressive at the point of attack.”

Ohio State might not know its starting rotation of safeties yet. It also might be the three we saw on the opening day of camp and Eliano is throwing a smokescreen so as not to tip the Buckeyes’ hand.

Regardless of what it is, we know Carter is going to be a big part of Ohio State’s plans. He has the mind for it and the versatility.

(Photo: Justin Berl / Getty Images)

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