Ohio State fifth-year Josh Proctor (41) motivates the crowd during then-No. 2 Ohio State’s 21-7 win over Northwestern (1-8) on Saturday. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Lantern File Photo
Clear heart, clear mind, clear soul.
During the offseason, graduate safety Josh Proctor repeatedly used this phrase to prepare for a three-way position battle against freshman Malik Hartford and junior Ja’Had Carter.
Proctor was determined to secure the starting free safety job, often called ‘adjuster,’ despite the challenges posed by limited playing time and a season-ending leg injury in 2021. He fought to earn the trust of both his teammates and coaches. And in the end, he has.
Proctor secured starting safety in Ohio State’s season opener against Indiana Saturday afternoon and led a secondary that did not allow a touchdown.
“It means the world,” Proctor said after Ohio State’s victory over Indiana. “That’s all I wanted was a chance. All I needed was a chance to get out there. Like I said, I know I can ball, I know what I can do, so when that chance came, I just wanted to take advantage of it.”
In Tuesday’s press conference, head coach Ryan Day said Proctor’s performance was instrumental in their victory against the Hoosiers. The 6-foot-2 safety recorded four tackles, one tackle for loss and a pass breakup on fourth down.
This is his best statistical performance since he played against Rutgers in week four last season. Day said consistency has always been a focus of Proctor’s, and his on-field effort has never been questioned.
The Owasso, Oklahoma, native has been a Buckeye since 2018, appearing in 43 games alongside 10 starts. Day said he expects Proctor to be a significant contributor in the secondary this season.
“We need him to be consistent, and we need him to be a veteran guy,” Day said. “And he showed up. He graded out a Champion and played well.”
Day said Hartford and Carter will still see action at free safety, but Proctor remains the starter for now.
“I think you’ll see those other guys play,” Day said. “But Josh right now has earned the right on the field to be the starter.”
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles seconded Day’s evaluation on the graduate’s performance Saturday. Knowles said they’ve always had high aspirations for Proctor, who was the nation’s No. 7 safety in his class, according to 247Sports.
With blown coverages and missed assignments, his talents came at a cost of consistency that hindered the Buckeyes, leading Proctor to receive minimal playing time behind senior Lathan Ransom.
Knowles said they were looking for consistency, and Proctor was willing to do whatever it took to get back into the coaching staff’s good graces. If he ever wanted another chance to start, Proctor said he knew it would begin with his preparation during the offseason, requiring him to clear his “heart, mind and soul.”
“I just wanted to honestly keep my head down — keep my head down and work,” Proctor said. “Like I said, I didn’t know if I was going to be a starter, but I wanted to work like a starter. Watching film, meeting with coach, staying in the playbook and all of that.”
Proctor played the entire first half against Indiana, while Hartford substituted most of the second. Carter, a transfer from Syracuse, did not play versus the Hoosiers. Knowles said it’s difficult to play three guys in a highly contested game.
Proctor will remain the starter against Youngstown State Saturday. Still, Knowles said the free safety battle will remain highly contested, and players will “have to earn it every week.”
After five long seasons, Proctor is confident he is up for the challenge.
“My whole thing going into this offseason was clear mind, clear heart, clear soul,” Proctor said. “Don’t worry about anything, let everything go once you out here to play ball, and I know I can do that.”
