Ohio State’s secondary will be relying on versatility, and some Florida State ties in 2026

Ohio StateOhio State safety Earl Little Jr. is set to have a major impact on the Buckeyes in 2026.David Petkiewicz, cleveland.comBy Andrew Gillis, cleveland.comCOLUMBUS, Ohio -- One of the biggest mysteries about Ohio State’s 2026 defense is how, and where, its safeties will be deployed. Earl Little Jr. wasn’t ready to give away the secret.The Florida State transfer spoke to the media late last week and talked about his first fall camp, his transition to the team and how he’s meshed with others in the secondary. He didn’t, though, talk about where he’d be lining up when the ball is snapped.It’s clear that Little is going to play a major role on the Buckeyes’ defense in 2026 -- and the versatility the secondary provides is a feature, not a bug. But wherever he lines up, he says he’ll be ready.“Just being able to play in different spots is a great thing,” Little explained. “I don’t really have a specific mindset on where I should play. Wherever the team needs me at, I feel I’m capable of doing it.”He was asked a handful of times during his media session about his role and gave a similar answer every time. He does, in fairness, have experience. In 2025, while at Florida State, he played 674 defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He predominantly played at free safety, where 376 (55.78%) of his snaps came. Next was in the box, with 226 snaps, and then in the slot at 65.“I feel like we work well together,” fellow safety Jaylen McClain said Saturday. “We have two different playstyles, but we’re both very versatile safeties. At the end of the day, we’re going to be able to play different things and show some different fits.“We’re both fast, physical football players. Earl’s really fast. He’s controlled; he’s a really good player.”While it was expected that Ohio State would end up with some combination of Terry Moore, Little and McClain on the field more snaps than not, as part of a three-safety defense, that may no longer be as prevalent of a scheme.The emergence of freshman cornerback Jay Timmons, who was once a Florida State commit and was hosted by Little while on recruiting visits, has perhaps changed the calculus of what Ohio State can, or wants, to do defensively. With Timmons in the slot, next to outside cornerbacks Devin Sanchez and Jermaine Mathews Jr., both McClain and Little can play as deep safeties.“Wherever the team needs me, whatever week it is, that’s where I’ll be, bouncing around,” Little said simply, later adding that he “wholeheartedly” did not care where he played.The versatility Little, who has drawn rave reviews since his arrival in the winter, can provide gives the Buckeyes and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia a valued element of a successful defense: Versatility.Now, that hasn’t come very easily. Little said his full comfortability with the defense came closer to present day than when he arrived on campus. With so many moving pieces, communication and flexibility are paramount.That, though is why Ohio State is so high on what its defense can be in 2026. Adding a player like Little not only provides a talent influx to a secondary that lost Caleb Downs and Davison Igbinosun to the NFL Draft, but it changes how the entire secondary can play, too.“As the summer went along, I was just dialed in on all those different positions they wanted me to play at,” Little said. “It’s been smooth.”Andrew Gillis covers Ohio State football and recruiting for Cleveland.com. He provides updates on Ohio State football as a whole, its prospects and the Buckeyes each week. He previously covered the Bengals for...