Ohio State junior safety Josh Proctor warms up before the Ohio State-Nebraska game on Oct. 24. Ohio State won 52-17. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Josh Proctor is not confined to his depth chart position of safety.
Following the departure of Los Angeles Rams safety Jordan Fuller, who largely played single-high safety for Ohio State in 2019, Proctor was one of the players tasked with filling in on an inexperienced secondary. The junior has not only stepped into the safety role for the first three games of the season but has expanded his versatility to help a defense that has returned less than half its starters from a year ago.
The Oklahoma native said he is looking to help the team in any capacity, thus creating an expanded description of his role in the defense.
“I can describe it kinda like a Swiss Army knife, just kinda anywhere you need me,” Proctor said Tuesday.
In his first season back with the program, defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs emphasized versatility to an unproven secondary.
Proctor said that although the plan coming into the season did not include himself playing a mixture of cornerback along with safety, Coombs’ message of versatility resonated with him.
“He kinda talked to me about multiple spots but he just, basically, sat me down and told me he wanted me to learn every spot in the backend,” Proctor said. “He said versatility is our biggest threat, and I think I took that to heart and I felt that was my biggest chance of getting on the field.”
Following a season in which he played a backup role until he was asked to step up in the Fiesta Bowl — a game in which the then-sophomore said motivated him to prepare better — Proctor has accumulated seven tackles, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery through three games this season.
In 2019, Proctor tallied 13 tackles to go along with an interception and three pass deflections from the safety position.
Proctor has expanded his role to play up at the line of scrimmage in man coverage at times in 2020 — a skill set he worked at under former defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
“Coach Hafley used to make me practice with the corners sometimes, so I wasn’t too nervous about it — lining up in the slot,” Proctor said. “I’m actually comfortable out there, really. I like being down in the box close, seeing everything fast.”
Day said that a versatile defender can cause problems for an offense by removing the ability to judge a defensive strategy based on personnel.
Although there is benefit of having a multifaceted player on the defense, Day said that it is important to make sure the level of play remains consistent when the player is moved around.
“If you can play man-to-man coverage, zone coverage, blitz and then play the run, if you can do all those things, that’s pretty good. Now, at what level?” Day said Tuesday. “If you can do all of them pretty good, that’s OK. If you can do all of them really good — if you can do everything great — then you’re like Isaiah Simmons at Clemson.”
Proctor said he brings a playmaking ability and energy to the defensive unit.
The Buckeyes are allowing 224.3 passing yards per game in 2020 — an increase of more than 76 yards from a year ago — and Proctor said the group is making strides as the season progresses.
“I think I’ve played pretty good — as well as the secondary — but there’s some places we can improve as far as tackling and some things like that,” Proctor said. “But all in all, I think we’re in the right direction and we’re where we want to be right now, just gotta keep working.”
Proctor said that he and redshirt sophomore safety Marcus Hooker have focused on minute details to help improve their play in the backend of the defense.
Noting the safeties’ biggest improvement being their ability to focus on film, Proctor said that he and the Ohio State secondary will have to play at a high level to defend the Indiana passing attack, which is averaging more than 267 yards per game.
“I think the thing that stands out is their athleticism,” Proctor said. “Every year they’ve improved, so we have to come into this week with the mindset of we have to play at our best and be at our best because we know they’re going to come with everything they’ve got.”
