Alter’s Hicks getting acclimated to new surroundings

Hicks did a little bit of everything at Alter last season, lining up at safety, nickel, linebacker and even edge rusher at times for the Knights defense and getting almost 100 touches on offense.

He also returned kicks and punts and was named the Ohio Division III Defensive Player of the Year.

He is the No. 7 prospect in the country in the 247Sports Composite rankings and the top-rated player in Ohio State’s class, a designation he is proud of but not something he dwells on.

“At this point, it really doesn’t matter because you can be the No. 1 recruit in the country and you come here and you play horrible, you won’t even touch the field,” Hicks said.

He has already been thrown a curveball since arriving in Columbus.

Al Washington, who recruited him for the past two years as the linebackers coach at Ohio State, was one of the odd men out when head coach Ryan Day remade his defensive staff, a process that was not finalized until late January.

Hicks said Washington had already had his first meeting of the year with the new group of linebackers before his exit occurred, but the group is rolling with the change.

They will instead be coached by Jim Knowles, who is also the team’s new defensive coordinator.

Hicks still projects as one of the inside linebackers in the Knowles’ 4-2-5 scheme.

“I understand it is a business, and Ohio State’s gonna replace good coaches with good coaches, too, so Coach Knowles has been doing a good job and all the new defensive coaches have been doing a good job, too,” Hicks said.