Breaking down PFF stats to know about key Buckeyes cornerbacks

The summer offseason is in full swing, and Lettermen Row is trying to survive it with our annual Position Week breakdowns. By the time all nine units and coaching staff at Ohio State have been covered, training camp and media days will nearly have arrived, and the return of football in the Horseshoe will be just around the corner. We’re continuing with our ninth and final positional week with the Buckeyes cornerbacks unit.

COLUMBUS — Ohio State cornerbacks didn’t record a single interception last season. Buckeyes cornerbacks and secondary coach Tim Walton is set on making sure that doesn’t happen again. From the first day of spring practice on, getting hands on the ball was a point of emphasis.

That showed up in scrimmages and in the spring game as well.

But interceptions, and even pass break-ups, aren’t always the telltale sign of great cornerback play.

So, when looking at the numbers of Ohio State’s cornerbacks, Lettermen Row turned to the database at Pro Football Focus, which provides us advanced analytics that give us another lens to examine the Buckeyes’ defensive backs on the outside.

We’re picking out the PFF stats from last season to know about each of the Buckeyes’ key cornerbacks heading into the 2023 campaign.

Denzel Burke

PFF Stat: 93 yards after the catch allowed

Analysis: Denzel Burke allowed only 93 yards after the catch in 2022, the eighth fewest of any Big Ten cornerback with at least 300 coverage snaps last season, per PFF. What’s interesting, though, is that Burke posted a missed tackle rate of 19.2% on pass plays in 2022, the third highest of league corners in that data set. Nevertheless, after rocky start to the season — in part caused by shoulder and hand injuries — Burke finished last year strong. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound corner conceded just 10 receptions for 97 yards on 18 targets over the final five games of the season, according to PFF. Burke has built on that stretch this offseason, during which he’s adopted a “pro approach” and impressed the Buckeyes staff.

Jordan Hancock

PFF Stat: 21.8 yards per reception allowed

Analysis: Jordan Hancock missed the first half of last season with a hamstring injury he suffered during preseason. He was never fully 100% after returning. That played a part in the inconsistency he showed over his 103 defensive snaps in 2022. He didn’t allow a reception against either Iowa or Indiana, but he struggled on the road versus Penn State and Maryland. Against both the Nittany Lions and the Terrapins, Hancock gave up pass plays of at least 34 yards. Those were two of the four receptions he conceded on seven targets in his limited snaps last year, per PFF, hence why his yards per reception allowed is so inflated. Finally healthy in 2023, Hancock — the No. 58 overall prospect in the 2021 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking — is expected to settle in this season.

Davison Igbinosun

PFF Stat: targeted 40 times

Analysis: Davison Igbinosun was targeted 40 times in 2022 while starting 10 games for Ole Miss as a true freshman. To put that in perspective, Burke and now-former Buckeyes safety Tanner McCalister were both targeted a team-high 39 times last season. Quarterbacks often picked on Igbinosun, with varied success. In fact, the lengthy 6-foot-2 corner was targeted five or more times in four separate games last year, according to PFF. He was targeted a whopping nine times against Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl. Although Igbinosun allowed a touchdown, he gave up a total of just 47 yards through the air that outing, per PFF. He was the top New Jersey prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, and he now he’s at Ohio State with significant experience under his belt.

Jyaire Brown

PFF Stat: 38.5% reception percentage

Analysis: Jyaire Brown ranked second in reception percentage (38.5%) among all Big Ten cornerbacks with at least 100 defensive snaps last season, according to PFF. Brown played the most defensive snaps of any Buckeyes true freshman in 2022. He was targeted 13 times and allowed just five catches for 61 yards. He was penalized only once, and he didn’t concede a touchdown pass. Brown made his first career start against Wisconsin in Week 4, stepping up for an injury-riddled Ohio State cornerback room and allowed two receptions for 14 yards on four targets in that game, per PFF.

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