Ohio State freshman cornerback Devin Sanchez loses black stripe

COLUMBUS — The hype was always going to be off the charts for Devin Sanchez‘s freshman season at Ohio State.

It’s one step closer to becoming much more than just practice buzz and talk of potential. The five-star cornerback and Buckeyes freshman shed his black stripe after practice Wednesday, a tell-tale sign that he’s doing everything needed to become a piece of this Ohio State defense this fall.

He’s the fourth Ohio State freshman to lose the black stripe from the 2025 recruiting class. He joins wide receiver Quincy Porter, linebacker Riley Pettijohn and tight end Nate Roberts. Porter lost his during spring practice, while Pettijohn and Roberts shed theirs Tuesday after practice.

Sanchez enrolled back in January and had ups and downs in spring ball, his first as a college athlete.

But he quickly learned what it was going to take to go from five-star prospect with sky-high potential to a difference-maker for the Buckeyes secondary.

“In the recruiting process, it was being developed into the next best corner,” Sanchez said back in the spring. “When I finally got here, it was being coached hard. He coaches hard, very hard. I feel like if he’s not coaching you hard, it’s kind of over. But when he’s coaching you hard from the jump, that means that he wants the best for you.

“He’s not going to let me slack off, especially on the look/coverage things like that, he’s always on me. When I watch film, he doesn’t show me the good plays. He shows me the bad plays. Where I’m doing bad. So it’s just making myself better, correcting those things.”

Now the No. 6 overal player and top-ranked cornerback from his recruiting class can start the process of climbing a loaded depth chart that includes stars Jermaine Mathews and Davison Igbinosun, as well as former highly ranked recruits who are also working to earn playing time.

He has done the right things this summer and into the beginning of training camp. Devin Sanchez is taking the proper steps forward as a five-star freshman to earn significant playing time early in his career.