The Ohio State Buckeyes led all colleges with the most players invited to the 2025 NFL combine, sending 15 players to the annual showcase, one more than runners-up Georgia and Oregon.
The Buckeyes won the 2024 national championship, but a player a from a rival school, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, is almost certain to become the first Big Ten player off of the board by the time the 2025 NFL draft rolls around.
Recently, a former five-star edge rusher on the Buckeyes' current roster was compared to the Nittany Lions' prospective number one pick by a former Ohio State star who knows a thing or two about making plays on defense.
Tyvis Powell, who played defensive back from 2013 to 2015 in Columbus, Ohio, shared a post from an Ohio State Buckeyes news source on Twitter about CJ Hicks, who came to Columbus as a linebacker but has since switched to an edge rusher position.
Hicks committed to the Buckeyes out of Archbishop Alter High School in Dayton, Ohio in 2020 after a promising and productive high school career.
"The next Abdul Carter!" Powell shared to his 64,100 X followers, a list that includes Urban Meyer, Robert Griffin III and other high profile names from the college football world.
The next Abdul Carter! https://t.co/G98Z2dSL6z
— Tyvis Powell (@1Tyvis) March 7, 2025
Hicks earned the nickname 'Captain Buckeye' after committing to Ohio State. He recorded 22 tackles including two sacks and a pass breakup last season in limited action a veteran Ohio State defense that will lean on plenty of new faces this upcoming season in the Buckeye State.
Related: Athlon Sports 2025 NFL Draft Preview Magazine Now Available
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This story was originally published March 8, 2025 at 5:36 PM.