Ohio State graduate safety Tanner McCalister speaks to the media Feb. 2 at the Woody Hayes Athletics Center. Credit: Jacob Benge | Assistant Sports Editor
For graduate safety Tanner McCalister, playing under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is nothing new.
A transfer from Oklahoma State, McCalister started the last two years under Knowles, learning and executing the then-Cowboys’ defensive coordinator’s system. When he entered the transfer portal, Knowles was one of the first to reach out and eventually welcome him to Ohio State.
“I was comfortable in his system,” McCalister said. “My decision originally was I was going to declare for the draft, but I feel like one more year in college could help me develop.”
The Rockwall, Texas, native said he feels like he can be a coach for his new teammates since he has experience with Knowles, which has helped in his transition to Ohio State.
“I look forward to helping the guys in that way, and they’ve already started asking me questions about coach Knowles and the defense,” McCalister said. “I’ve already been building good relationships with guys on the defensive side, especially.”
McCalister said one of the primary reasons he transferred to Ohio State was that he wanted to win a national championship.
“That was something we were close to doing at Oklahoma State,” McCalister said. “We were one game short from getting into the College Football Playoff. Being here, I think we can really get a shot at the national championship, so I’m looking forward to getting it rolling with the guys in the spring.”
McCalister added that Knowles is really intelligent, partly coming from his Ivy League past — graduating from Cornell in 1987.
“You got to have some brains to be in the Ivy League,” McCalister said. “He is really deliberate in what he wants to do.”
In his two years as a starter, McCalister recorded 61 solo tackles and an interception. In what he described as a “versatile safety room,” one which includes senior Josh Proctor, junior Lathan Ransom, redshirt junior Ronnie Hickman and redshirt sophomore Cameron Martinez, McCalister will have to find his place in the lineup.
“I know I can’t come in here and immediately get respect,” McCalister said. “I’m working in the weight room with those guys. I have to let them know I’m serious about being here.”
McCalister said he wants to step into a leadership role and has “to earn those stripes,” and Knowles said he’s confident in McCalister’s leadership abilities.
“We’ve been through wars together,” Knowles said. “He understands me. He can talk to other guys if I get loud. I can be aggressive when I coach.”
Knowles added that McCalister has already been a model for the defense to follow and is preparing the team for what Knowles will establish. Most notably, Knowles said McCalister is “invaluable” to the defense due to his prior knowledge.
“He can explain the defense to them in a way that coaches can’t or someone my age can’t,” Knowles said.
With McCalister entering Ohio State’s revamped secondary, he said he’s placing a focus on getting better in the offseason.
“This is one of the most important parts of the college football season,” McCalister said. “I got to give it 100 percent every day and control what I can control.”
