COLUMBUS – Cade Stover has worked his way from farmland in rural Richland County to knighthood at one of the most storied football programs in the country.
The Lexington graduate and 2018 Mr. Football winner was tabbed as an Ohio State football team captain on Saturday. Captains were selected after a vote by the team’s players, the school stated.
Stover, who has bounced from linebacker to defensive end to tight end, played on both sides of the ball in the loss at Michigan last year and started at linebacker while registering six tackles in the 2022 Rose Bowl win over Utah. He’ll begin his fourth season in Columbus on the other side of the ball at tight end.
Six Buckeyes were picked as captains for a highly-touted team that was ranked No. 2 in the preseason coaches poll behind only Alabama.
Joining Stover as offensive captains are receiver Kam Babb, a returning captain, and quarterback C.J. Stroud. The defensive captains include fifth-year defensive lineman Tyler Friday, fourth-year linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and third-year safety Kourt Williams.
COVID impacted the careers of each player, so their eligibility clocks include extra seasons beyond the traditional count if they choose to exercise them. In Stover’s case, he could have up to three seasons of eligibility remaining, according to the school.
The 6-foot-4, 255-pounder was also the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2018 at Lexington. He played safety and linebacker on defense for the Minutemen and set a career tackles record of 592 stops. On offense he was used across the board and finished with 1,497 yards rushing with 18 TDs as a senior.
Stover figures to begin this season at Ohio State as a starter at tight end. He has played in 21 games as a Buckeye, on both sides of the ball, 15 at tight end. He’s collected five catches in his career for 76 yards. He has four starts at defensive end and two at linebacker, with 15 tackles.
Stover is majoring in agricultural systems and management.
The Buckeyes open the season on Sept. 3 in a prime-time 7:30 p.m. kickoff against Notre Dame at Ohio Stadium.
Here’s a closer look at the other team captains, as provided by Ohio State.
WR Kam Babb
Repeats as a team captain and becomes the 15th Buckeye to be a team captain multiple times … Block O jersey honoree for 2022 … has persevered through numerous knee injuries to be a valued teammate and a team leader … spoke at President Kristina M. Johnson’s investiture this past November … has played in seven games … has graduated with his degree in communications … a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete … from St. Louis, Mo., and Christian Brothers College H.S.
LB Tommy Eichenberg
In his fourth year at Ohio State and coming off a breakout 2021 season … played in all 13 games last season, started four times and ranked second on the team in tackles with 64 … set a Rose Bowl game record with 17 tackles in the win over Utah … had a high of seven tackles, vs. Maryland and Michigan State, prior to his breakout game vs. Utah … is a veteran of 18 games … is an OSU Scholar-Athlete majoring in business … from Cleveland and St. Ignatius H.S.
DE Tyler Friday
Coming off a red-shirt season in 2021 because of injury and is a true leader on defense … is a fifth-year Buckeye who has played in 26 games and started five times … played in five of eight games during the 2020 campaign, including the CFP championship game vs. Alabama … played in 11 games in 2019 and 10 as a true freshman n 2018 … has 18 career tackles, including four tackles-for-loss and three quarterback sacks … an OSU Scholar-Athlete majoring in communications … is from Ramsey, N.J., and Don Bosco Prep.
QB C.J. Stroud
Led the team to an 11-win season in 2021 in his first season as a starting quarterback … a finalist for the Heisman Trophy after throwing for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns against just six interceptions … the first player in Big Ten history to be named its offensive player, quarterback and freshman of the year … directed Ohio State to No. 1 national rankings in total offense (561.5) and scoring (45.7) … set 17 Ohio State school records plus five Rose Bowl records … is majoring in communications … from the Inland Empire region of California and Rancho Cucamonga H.S.
SAF Kourt Williams II
A third-year player from Harbor City, Calif., and St. John Bosco H.S. … played in 11 games in 2021 after red-shirting the 2020 season … started vs. Utah in the Rose Bowl … made 27 tackles on the season, including 21 solo stops and four tackles-for-loss … had high games of seven tackles vs. Michigan State and six solo tackles vs. Utah … is an OSU Scholar-Athlete majoring in communications.
