Ohio State defensive back Earl Little Jr. loses black stripe

COLUMBUS — Ohio State defensive back Earl Little Jr. is already making his presence felt in the new-look Buckeyes secondary.

He’s also making the most of his first few practices inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Little has zipped through the learning curve that came with going from Florida State to the Ohio State program, shedding his black stripe after just five practices with the Buckeyes. The black stripe removal, of course, signifies that Little is doing the right things early in his time in Columbus.

He was joined by LSU transfer wide receiver Kyle Parker as transfer additions to lose their stripe after practice Saturday.

Earl Little Jr. transferred in after a couple of years at Florida State. He initially went to Alabama out of high school.

The Miami native played in 36 games for Florida State, making 21 starts while demonstrating the kind of positional flexibility that’s become invaluable in modern college football. He lined up at safety, nickel and boundary corner during his career in Tallahassee, showing the football intelligence and physical tools to handle multiple roles. He began his career at Alabama, playing two seasons for Nick Saban. He also played alongside Ohio State captain Brandon Inniss in his high school days at American Heritage (Ft. Lauderdale.) High School.

Now with the Buckeyes, Little is beginning to turn heads.

“He’s going to hit,” said Ohio State superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who goes against Little every day in practice. “He’s going to make plays. He’s going to be very special for us. That’s all I can say. Don’t want to put too much out there, but he’s special.”

With that in mind, it’s safe to assume Earl Little Jr. is having a good start to his Ohio State career. That’s evident in that he lost his black stripe Saturday after just five practices with the Buckeyes.