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Before safety Earl Little Jr. transferred to Ohio State from Florida State earlier this offseason, he planned to enter the NFL draft.
Little made a declaration in late December, a chance to capitalize on a breakout year with the Seminoles. But after a few days, he had second thoughts and entered the transfer portal for his final year of eligibility.
“My heart was telling me to come back to school,” Little said, “finish this out the right way and continue to get developed so that I’m ready 100% for the next level.”
The Buckeyes made an enticing option. They had a need in the back end of their defense, having lost two of their starting safeties to the draft, including Caleb Downs, who was considered the top defensive back in college last fall as the Jim Thorpe Award winner.
Few programs in recent years have also won as often as Ohio State, a factor not lost on Little, who never played in a bowl game at Florida State. During his two seasons with the Seminoles, they went just 7-17.
“That was something that I wanted to be a part of,” Little said.
Little’s consideration of the Buckeyes included feedback from Downs. They were teammates together at Alabama in 2023 before transferring in the aftermath of coach Nick Saban’s retirement. When Downs recommended Ohio State, he praised both defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and safeties coach Matt Guerrieri.
“Those two guys love ball, they’re all about ball, and they’re great teachers,” Little recalled Downs saying.
Little could prove to be one of the most impactful signings for the Buckeyes. He and wide receiver Kyle Parker were the first transfers to lose their black stripes during spring practice, and after the ninth practice on April 6, coach Ryan Day identified Little as one of their most consistent performers.
Day mentioned Little’s communication in the secondary, but it’s not the only trait the staff has recognized.
“There’s immediate energy when he’s in the building,” Guerrieri said.
“He's a fireball,” said Tim Walton, the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, “plays with great energy, great passion, great toughness. He plays the game the way you want to play it.”
When Little emerged as a star for Florida State last season, he was all over the field. He made 76 tackles and four interceptions to lead the Seminoles. Patricia saw that quality during their earliest evaluations.
“This guy just had an instinct and knack for being around the ball,” Patricia said. “I love that ability.”
Little sees an opportunity to elevate his playmaking at Ohio State. When he put off leaving for the NFL, he sought a chance to become even savvier.
“I wanted to read offenses quicker and diagnose things before they even happen,” Little said. “I feel like I’m in the right place to do that.”
Little handled a variety of roles at Florida State last year. According to Pro Football Focus, he played just over half of his snaps at free safety and a third in the box closer to the line of scrimmage.
The versatility has been a benefit in spring practice, allowing the Buckeyes to use him in multiple safety spots.
While Little was lined up as the nickelback during a scrimmage open to students last weekend, he said he’s moved around in practices. But no matter where he lines up in the secondary, he wants to leave a mark.
“I'm a very physical player,” Little said. “I play with a chip on my shoulder every play. I love what I do, I love how I play, and I just want to be that presence that the offenses feels, that when the quarterback's scanning the field and all that, I want to be that dude, like, ‘Where’s (No.) 1?’”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Earl Little Jr. put off NFL draft to transfer to Ohio State football
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Little made a declaration in late December, a chance to capitalize on a breakout year with the Seminoles. But after a few days, he had second thoughts and entered the transfer portal for his final year of eligibility.
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“My heart was telling me to come back to school,” Little said, “finish this out the right way and continue to get developed so that I’m ready 100% for the next level.”
The Buckeyes made an enticing option. They had a need in the back end of their defense, having lost two of their starting safeties to the draft, including Caleb Downs, who was considered the top defensive back in college last fall as the Jim Thorpe Award winner.
Few programs in recent years have also won as often as Ohio State, a factor not lost on Little, who never played in a bowl game at Florida State. During his two seasons with the Seminoles, they went just 7-17.
“That was something that I wanted to be a part of,” Little said.
Little’s consideration of the Buckeyes included feedback from Downs. They were teammates together at Alabama in 2023 before transferring in the aftermath of coach Nick Saban’s retirement. When Downs recommended Ohio State, he praised both defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and safeties coach Matt Guerrieri.
“Those two guys love ball, they’re all about ball, and they’re great teachers,” Little recalled Downs saying.
Little could prove to be one of the most impactful signings for the Buckeyes. He and wide receiver Kyle Parker were the first transfers to lose their black stripes during spring practice, and after the ninth practice on April 6, coach Ryan Day identified Little as one of their most consistent performers.
Day mentioned Little’s communication in the secondary, but it’s not the only trait the staff has recognized.
“There’s immediate energy when he’s in the building,” Guerrieri said.
“He's a fireball,” said Tim Walton, the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, “plays with great energy, great passion, great toughness. He plays the game the way you want to play it.”
When Little emerged as a star for Florida State last season, he was all over the field. He made 76 tackles and four interceptions to lead the Seminoles. Patricia saw that quality during their earliest evaluations.
“This guy just had an instinct and knack for being around the ball,” Patricia said. “I love that ability.”
Little sees an opportunity to elevate his playmaking at Ohio State. When he put off leaving for the NFL, he sought a chance to become even savvier.
“I wanted to read offenses quicker and diagnose things before they even happen,” Little said. “I feel like I’m in the right place to do that.”
Little handled a variety of roles at Florida State last year. According to Pro Football Focus, he played just over half of his snaps at free safety and a third in the box closer to the line of scrimmage.
The versatility has been a benefit in spring practice, allowing the Buckeyes to use him in multiple safety spots.
While Little was lined up as the nickelback during a scrimmage open to students last weekend, he said he’s moved around in practices. But no matter where he lines up in the secondary, he wants to leave a mark.
“I'm a very physical player,” Little said. “I play with a chip on my shoulder every play. I love what I do, I love how I play, and I just want to be that presence that the offenses feels, that when the quarterback's scanning the field and all that, I want to be that dude, like, ‘Where’s (No.) 1?’”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Earl Little Jr. put off NFL draft to transfer to Ohio State football
Continue reading...
