\n When Ohio State secured the commitments of Earl Little Jr. and Terry Moore in the transfer portal, the assumption was that they\u2019d complement Jaylen McClain as the Buckeyes\u2019 other two starting safeties. While Earl Little Jr. seems to be barreling toward one starting job, another name has emerged to challenge Moore this offseason. <\/p>\n
\n\tLeroy Roker III is making waves in his third year with Ohio State.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI love Leroy,\u201d Ohio State safeties coach Matt Guerrieri said. \u201cLeroy is a guy who has developed tremendously over the last couple of years. He has all the skills to be a very, very, very good safety. He’s an awesome person. The sky is the limit for him. I know you’ve seen him in spurts, but he’s a guy that’s grown tremendously and we’ve seen him every step of the way. But, yeah, I’m really excited for Leroy’s future. I’m proud of him and his development. It’s going to be a fun ride.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n\tRoker is working at all three safety spots in Ohio State\u2019s defense, and the returns on the Florida native this spring have him in a spot to play a major role for this year\u2019s Silver Bullets. It might surprise some, given his recruiting pedigree \u2013 but it doesn\u2019t surprise Roker or those in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cSurprising? I wouldn\u2019t say so,\u201d Roker said. \u201cI just really put my faith in God. I\u2019ve been in the building a lot.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n\tExcluding punter Nick McLarty, who arrived from Australia in 2024, Roker was the lowest-rated prospect in Ohio State\u2019s recruiting class of 2024. He landed as the No. 841 overall prospect <\/a>and the No. 88 safety\u00a0in the 247Sports composite. His offer sheet was short, with Miami and Iowa being the only two other Power Four schools involved in his recruitment.\n<\/p>\n \n\tRoker\u2019s development got off to a slightly delayed start, at least by modern college football standards, as a summer enrollee. But he shed his black stripe just weeks into his first preseason camp at Ohio State in August 2024, though he did redshirt his freshman year in the end.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cComing in with a bunch of four- or five-stars, highly recruited, it did put a chip on my shoulder. But I knew I could be able to compete with them,\u201d Roker said.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\tRoker climbed the depth chart a few rungs as a redshirt freshman in 2025. He tied with Faheem Delane to play the fourth-most snaps <\/a>of Ohio State\u2019s safeties (including nickel Lorenzo Styles Jr.) at 81, seeing some meaningful action at dimeback in the middle to late portions of the regular season. He picked up nine tackles with one pass breakup on the season. In coverage, he allowed two receptions for 11 yards and one touchdown on three targets, per Pro Football Focus.\n<\/p>\n \n\tRange and the ability to play downhill are what Roker views as the strengths of his game. He felt he built trust with Ohio State\u2019s coaching staff through his performance in practice and on special teams in 2025, which earned him the defensive opportunities he received.\n<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cSpecial teams is very important here,\u201d Roker said. \u201cSo I think by creating a role from special teams, I was able to put the trust in with the coaches and get on the field.\u201d\n<\/p>\n