Post-OSU Update: Ronnie Hickman graduated in December 2022 with his degree in human development and family sciences. He entered the 2023 NFL Draft and went undrafted. He caught on with the Cleveland Browns and played 10 games in 2023, making four starts. He made 25 tackles, broke up three passes, and had a pick-six in his rookie year. In 2024, he made five starts in 14 games and recorded 45 tackles. (updated: Mar. 2025)

Jersey #: 14 (2020-22), 28 (2019)
Major: Human Development and Family Sciences (2020-22)
Weight: 207 (2022), 205 (2020-21), 200 (2019)

2022: Earned second-team All-America honors by the Associated Press in 2022 after a 53-tackle season that included an interception and seven PBUs.

2021: Was one of, if not the, top defensive players on the team in 2021 and was named second-team all-Big Ten by the coaches and third-team by the media … led the team in tackles with 100, including 54 solo stops, and in interceptions with two … is the first Buckeye in six years with 100 or more tackles in a season
(Raekwon McMillan, 102 in 2015) … had 10 or more tackles five times, including a high game of 15 against Penn State … also had 12 tackles vs. Michigan, 11 vs. Minnesota and Rutgers, and 10 vs. Oregon … his interceptions came in consecutive games against Tulsa and Akron, with his Akron interception a 46-yard “pick-6”.

2020: Played in the first five games of 2020 before getting sidelined with an injury … totaled five tackles in 2020, including a high of three in the win at Michigan State … impressed in special teams duty.

2019: Redshirted his true freshman year while rehabbing a high school injury he suffered his senior year at DePaul Catholic.

High School: New Jersey’s third-ranked recruit overall by 247Sports.com and is a top 150 prospect nationally … ranked No. 9 as an athlete according to 247Sports … played on both sides of the ball for DePaul Catholic, lining up at wide receiver and safety … an injury cut his senior season short, but not before he totaled 609 receiving yards and nine TDs on 26 catches … recorded 19 tackles and five pass breakups … caught 44 passes for 809 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior while also contributing 44 tackles, two interceptions and nine PBU on defense … had 945 all-purpose yards in 2017 … is the third New Jersey native to sign with the Buckeyes in the last two classes, joining Javontae Jean-Baptise and Tyler Friday from last year’s class … is nicknamed “The Rocket” … helped DePaul Catholic win New Jersey’s Non Public Group III state title as a junior in 2017.

Personal: Played for head coach John McKenna … parents are Hanifah Crawley and Ronnie Hickman Sr.