2020 Ohio State Team Captains Announced
Borland, Cooper, Davis, Fields, Hilliard, Myers and Wade selected to lead this year’s team
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day announced today that seven players will serve as captains for the 2020 Buckeyes. This year’s captains include a pair of returning captains – LB Tuf Borland the DE Jonathon Cooper – along with OG Wyatt Davis, QB Justin Fields, LB Justin Hilliard, OC Josh Myers and CB Shaun Wade.
Borland becomes just the second three-time captain in program history, joining QB J.T. Barrett, who held the honor from 2015 through 2017. Borland’s played in every game – 42 – over the past three seasons and has totaled 180 tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss and five sacks. He graduated last December with his degree in human development and family science and is currently working toward a master’s degree in sports coaching.
Cooper, from Gahanna and a graduate of Gahanna Lincoln, was slowed by an injury last year as a senior and ultimately decided to redshirt. He did play in four games and started each one, including the regular-season finale at Michigan. He’s played in 37 career games with 51 tackles, 11.5 tackles-for-loss and 6.5 quarterback sacks. He graduated last December with his degree in consumer and family financial services.
Davis was a unanimous first-team All-American in 2019 and is considered one of the outstanding offensive linemen in college football this year. He’s a member of the 2020 Outland Trophy watch list. Davis, who is majoring in communication, has played in 28 consecutive games since the start of the 2018 season and has started 16 times.
Fields had one of the greatest seasons ever by an Ohio State quarterback last year, throwing for 3,273 yards, 41 touchdowns and just three interceptions in his first year as a starter. A finalist for the Heisman Trophy and the Davey O’Brien Award, Fields was also the Big Ten’s Quarterback of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year. From Kennesaw, Ga., he is majoring in consumer and family financial services.
Hilliard has battled injuries for much of his career and returns in 2020 for his sixth year of eligibility. He recovered from a spring 2019 injury in time to play in 12 games last season and earn three starts. Also a valuable player on special teams throughout his career, Hilliard has played in 42 games with 51 total tackles, 4.0 tackles-for-loss, one interception and three passes defended. He graduated in May of 2019 with his degree in marketing.
Myers also was a first-year starter last season and established himself as one of the nation’s top interior linemen. A second-team All-Big Ten choice by the media, he, Davis, Thayer Munford and Co. paved the way for the Buckeyes’ first-ever 2,000-yard rusher (J.K. Dobbins) and an offense that averaged 529.9 yards of total offense per game. Myers is a member of the 2020 Outland Trophy watch list and will be a leading contender for the Rimington Trophy this season. He is majoring in social work.
Wade, a fourth-year junior from Jacksonville, is the Buckeyes’ most experienced returning member of the secondary following a 2019 season that saw him play in 13 games and make 26 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, one interception and force two fumbles to go along with eight pass breakups. Wade is on the watch list for four major awards this preseason, including the Jim Thorpe Award, which honors the top defensive back in college football. He is nearing completion of his degree in sport industry.
