Jordan

Hancock

Hancock will join a Buffalo defense with what PFF graded as last season’s second worst secondary. A position-versatile chess piece in Ohio State’s secondary, Hancock logged snaps at nickel, outside corner, and free safety, flashing an NFL-ready temperament. At 6’0”/195 with elite explosiveness (41.5” vert, 10’6” broad) and a 9.82 RAS, Hancock checks athletic boxes but plays more like a tone-setting enforcer than a lockdown cover man. He’s chippy and physical in the alley, rips at the football with urgency (watch 2024 Michigan State tape), and improved significantly as a tackler during his senior campaign. However, Hancock lacks recovery twitch and turns upright in transitions, often falling behind quick slot receivers. Coaches rave about his toughness and willingness to play anywhere, and his experience across coverage shells (Cover 1, 3, and quarters) speaks to his football IQ. While his coverage ceiling may cap him as a depth piece, Hancock’s physicality, pursuit effort, and scheme versatility give him a strong shot to carve out a role as a special teams demon and subpackage DB.

Hancock (6'0/170) opted out specifically due to the dangers posed by the coronavirus pandemic. His parents both have underlying health conditions and the four-star corner would like to limit his contact with others in order to help protect his family. The Suwanee, Georgia, native initially pledged to the Buckeyes on July 19, a rare loss for Clemson, who saw him decommit from the Tigers just days previous to throwing in with OSU. On the 247Sports composite board, Hancock ranks as the No. 76 overall prospect in the 2021 class.

Hancock backed off his commitment to Clemson on Wednesday, and announced his new home -- potentially, anyway -- on Sunday. The 6-foot, 170-pound corner also had offers from schools like Alabama and Georgia among other high-profile institutions. It’s a big get for the Buckeyes, with Charles Power of 247Sports comparing the corner to Byron Murphy of the Arizona Cardinals and formerly of the Washington Huskies. The recruiting website ranks Hancock the sixth best player in the state of Georgia (North Gwinnett HS, Suwanee) and the 41st best player overall. Unsurprisingly, the commitment of Hancock does not drop the Buckeyes from their rank as the top class in the country.

Hancock (6'0/170) initially pledged to the Tigers in March -- just days before the pandemic came crashing in like a rogue asteroid -- choosing the program over Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State. OSU, in particular, is now worth watching for the Suwanee, Georgia, native’s down-the-road new pledge. And on the Clemson side, this is an interesting decommitment. The program had developed into something of a steel trap in recruiting under HC Dabo Swinney. Commits simply didn’t back off once they were in the fold. It’s been different this cycle. We’ve now seen two major defections from the Tigers’ 2021 class in five-star DE Korey Foreman -- the consensus No. 1 prospect in the country -- and now Hancock. We wouldn’t read too much into this, for now. Another decommitment or two and suddenly it’s a little bit of a pattern.

Hancock (6'0/170) sided with Clemson over fellow finalists Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State. He made his commitment coming off an unofficial visit to the Tigers this past weekend. 247Sports’ Charles Power sees shades of Byron Murphy in the Suwanee, Georgia, native’s game, noting that Hancock is "[i]nstinctive and versatile with the ability to play multiple spots within the secondary.” On the 247Sports composite board, Hancock slots in as the No. 82 overall prospect in the 2021 class. He makes for Clemson’s first pledge in the secondary for the cycle.

Hancock said the LSU offer is the single offer he was “waiting for.” That isn’t to say Hancock will now immediately pick LSU, but he did mention that LSU is one of the “DBUs,” insinuating they are one of the best schools in the country at turning defensive backs into NFL players. Hancock, a 6-foot-1 and 165-pound ballhawk, is from the state of Georgia, so Baton Rouge wouldn’t be too far from home. Hancock also has offers from elite programs such as Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, and Florida.