Ohio State graduate cornerback Shaun Wade (24) attempts to catch the ball during the Ohio State-Rutgers game on Nov. 7. Ohio State won 49-27. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Shaun Wade came back to Ohio State to do two things: win and learn.
Three games into his shift from the slot cornerback position to outside cornerback, the redshirt junior has been on the wrong end of several highlight plays. Despite the individual hurdles on the field, Wade, who has the opportunity to be an early round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, has kept his season in perspective.
Wade said he and Ohio State defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs have conversations on where he can make improvements.
“I feel like most chances I’ll be in position — just playing the ball in the air,” Wade said Tuesday. “You’re going to get caught on, the greatest got caught on. It happens. You’ve got to snap and clear and play the next play. But really, all I care about is winning.”
Penn State junior wide receiver Jahan Dotson was able to best Wade on consecutive plays — the second for a touchdown — in the second half of Ohio State’s game against the Nittany Lions, and Rutgers redshirt senior tight end Jovani Haskins was able to win a one-on-one against Wade in the end zone Saturday.
Coombs said that sometimes players will make plays on the outside and that he has no concerns with how Wade has played.
“If you’re going to play corner — particularly if you’re going to play corner at Ohio State — you have to have a short memory,” Coombs said Nov. 3. “You have to understand by the nature of the defense there’s going to be pressure on you every single down and you have to step up and make plays.”
Wade did not deny that coming up short making certain plays has been disappointing.
However, the Florida native said he has not lost any confidence.
“You’re going to be disappointed when you want to be great, so at the end of the day, I’m always going to be disappointed,” Wade said. ”Even when I have a good game, I’m going to know one play that y’all probably don’t see that I know I could’ve done better at. I just want to get better.”
Noting that every player has something to improve upon, Wade said issues such as jumping backward and not into the defender, along with aggressively going after interceptions, have caused him to lose out on making plays.
“I’ve been watching my film. Sometimes I just need to go for the [pass breakup], just break the ball up,” Wade said. “Sometimes I feel like I just try to go for the interceptions too much sometimes. That’s what happens sometimes when you get greedy.”
Wade played on the inside a year ago — recording an interception to go along with 26 tackles.
Along with a desire to win a national championship, Wade returned for the 2020 season to play on the outside as Ohio State’s No. 1 cornerback.
He said the transition to the outside has been different, citing the vision and distance from the snap as adjustments.
In order to help grow in the position, Wade said he has turned to Ohio State coaches and players — past and present.
“I’ve been just going back to last year, watching Jeff (Okudah) and Damon (Arnette) and just trying to take some things they did last year to this year,” Wade said. “I still learn from coach Coombs, learn from even Sevyn (Banks), people that have been playing outside corner more than me.”
While Wade has learned some lessons in the first three weeks, the Buckeyes have cruised to a perfect 3-0 start.
Caring only about personal and team improvement as a tool for the team to win, Wade said his happiness in football is measured by what the scoreboard reads at the end of the game rather than how his stat sheet looks.
“At the end of the day, you just want to win,” Wade said. “If I play bad and we win a natty, I’m going to be happy because we won the natty.
