Josh Proctor starts at free safety in Ohio State football's season opener at Indiana
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Josh Proctor started at free safety in Ohio State’s 23-3 win at Indiana, edging out Syracuse transfer Ja'Had Carter and freshman Malik Hartford in a position battle that had remained unsettled in the days leading up to Saturday.
It marked the second straight season that Proctor lined up in the Buckeyes’ starting secondary for their opening game.
But Proctor, who started at strong safety against Notre Dame last September before being taken out after a missed tackle, stayed on the field for longer against the Hoosiers and ended as one of the top tacklers for the Buckeyes.
He finished with four tackles, including one for a loss when he stuffed running back Jaylin Lucas in the first quarter.
One of the biggest plays by Proctor came in pass coverage late in the second quarter as the Hoosiers were driving past midfield.
On a fourth-and-4 at Ohio State's 39-yard line, Indiana quarterback Tayven Jackson looked to find Dequece Carter, a transfer wide receiver from Fordham, in the flats when Proctor jumped the route and broke up the pass.
“I wasn’t sure if the quarterback was going to throw it,” Proctor said, “but he did, and I just wanted to stick a hand out. I probably could have gotten two hands on it.”
Proctor remained in until the fourth quarter when Hartford rotated in his place.
It wasn’t until the Buckeyes held their walk-through on Friday that Proctor learned he was set to start.
Though uncertainty remained throughout the week of practices, he said he “just prepared as a starter.”
Memories from last season, when he slipped into the rotation, had fueled the super senior for months.
“I just wanted to keep my head down,” Proctor said, “and whenever the chance came again, I wanted to make plays when it counted. That’s all I was thinking about this offseason.
Injury scare
Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was examined by trainers after falling hard late in the second quarter.
Harrison leapt in the air in an attempt to catch a pass thrown by quarterback Kyle McCord when he landed on his left shoulder.
But it only sidelined him for two plays as he returned later on the drive. He showed enough of a range of flexibility in his shoulder when he raised his left arm above his head in front of trainers on the sideline.
Harrison did not catch a pass after going down, finishing with only two receptions for 18 yards, his fewest since he was a freshman in 2021. He had at least three catches in each game last fall.
Buckeyes coach Ryan Day didn’t see it as an issue.
“I don’t believe it affected him,” Day said.
No. 2 cornerback spot
Davison Igbinosun got the start as the No. 2 cornerback over Jordan Hancock in his first appearance with the Buckeyes before the debut for the Mississippi transfer was nearly cut short.
On the second play of Indiana’s opening drive, officials flagged him for targeting when he dove toward a pile, where Brendan Sorsby, the Hoosiers’ quarterback, was being brought down by defensive tackle Ty Hamilton.
But the call was overturned following a replay review, allowing Igbinosun to remain in the secondary, and he finished with four tackles.
Perfect on field goals
Kicker Jayden Fielding made his first career field goal when he pushed a 40-yard attempt through the uprights in the waning seconds of the second quarter.
He also made 22-yard tries in the third and fourth quarters to remain perfect on field goals, as well as extra points.
Fielding handled kickoffs last season, while adding field goal and PAT duties for this fall after beating out Southern California transfer Parker Lewis in preseason training camp.
Etc.
Freshman Carnell Tate debuted in the second quarter when he rotated in at receiver and caught a 15-yard pass from McCord in the fourth quarter for his first career reception.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @joeyrkaufman.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football safety Josh Proctor starts in season opener
