Former Ohio State football safety Marcus Hooker announces transfer to Youngstown State

Former Ohio State safety Marcus Hooker announced Friday that he is transferring to Youngstown State.

The announcement came nearly a month after he put his name in the transfer portal, leaving the Buckeyes after four seasons.

Hooker once held a prominent role in Ohio State’s secondary, starting the first half of the season in 2020 at free safety before being passed on the depth chart by Josh Proctor.

His spot in the rotation was further diminished after his second drunk driving arrest last spring, leading to a months-long suspension that sidelined him for all of spring practice.

While returning to the team in the summer, he was largely limited to a role on special teams in 2021, appearing on defense in only three games. He finished with nine tackles.

Hooker was the last of Ohio State’s scholarship transfers to settle on a school, as well as the second to end up at a Football Championship Subdivision program after former Buckeyes linebacker K’Vaughan Pope announced last month that he was heading to Tennessee State.

It’s possible that Hooker, who has two seasons of eligibility left, could return to Ohio Stadium next year.

The Buckeyes open their non-conference schedule in 2023 against Youngstown State after the Penguins replaced filled in for San Jose State in a previously scheduled game.

Hooker is a native of New Castle, Pennsylvania, about a half-hour drive east of Youngstown.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Former Ohio State safety Marcus Hooker to transfer to Youngstown State