Ohio State football is no stranger to dealing with a cornerback's penalty concerns.
Buckeyes cornerback Devin Sanchez has racked up five penalties in five games this season, which is the most of any player in the Big Ten and tied for the nation's third-most, according to Pro Football Focus.
"He's competitive and he has to have a little more composure at the top of the route, for sure," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. "I would say some of those are close, but hey, when they get called, you've got to own them. So, you've got to make the adjustment, and we like the fact that he's aggressive, but you can't get called for penalties like that."
All five calls against Sanchez have been pass interference penalties, the first of which came during the 24-23
loss to Texas on Sept. 12. The sophomore's flags have cost Ohio State 46 yards.
After a clean outing against Kent State, Sanchez committed two penalties against Illinois and Iowa.
Back in 2024, Ohio State cornerback Davidson Igbinosun confronted the same issue, tallying a nation-high 16 penalties in the Buckeyes' 16-game national championship run.
"They're not the same player, but both very aggressive players, both very competitive," Day said. "So, there's no question that we could look back at that and recognize how we improved Davidson's top of the route with Devin."
Igbinosun reduced his total penalties to five in his final season before being drafted in the second round by the Buffalo Bills.
Day credited Ohio State secondary coach Tim Walton for working with Igbinosun and is hoping to see the same results out of Sanchez.
"Coach Walt's got a plan for it, and how we'll attack it," Day said. "I think his approach has been good, but I think he would tell you that he wants to play better too. So, this is a big week for him to step up against some really talented receivers from Maryland, to take the next step in his progression because he's played for us, but we need him to be that lockdown corner we know he can be."
bmackay@dispatch.com
@brimackay15
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State CB Devin Sanchez aims to clean up penalties vs Maryland
