Ohio State Buckeyes College Football Pregame Quote, 12/26/2023

Q. What was the most exciting game this year?

S JOSH PROCTOR: The most exciting to me was probably Wisconsin. Definitely Wisconsin. The way things ended, the way the game went, just go out with a bang, that game. That was my most exciting game.

Q. What’s the next step for you to get ready for the next season? Do you want the NFL? What are you taking from this year?

S JOSH PROCTOR: Just maturing, continue to learn myself. There are always areas I can better myself in. It’s all in God’s timing. As long as I do my work, it will all come into play.

Q. We talk about the transfer portal and guys that have decisions to make. After the Michigan game, with all this time in between, are you surprised as many guys stayed as they did?

S JOSH PROCTOR: I was. At the same time, I wasn’t. I mean, this is definitely how do I put that? Definitely a weird time, especially with the transfer portal and the NIL going and stuff. You never really know what’s going to happen and who’s going to go.

I wouldn’t say I was surprised. We are a close group, a close knit group. Guys trust each other.

Q. What does it say about it, then?

S JOSH PROCTOR: It shows we trust the system. We trust Coach [Ryan] Day. We trust the team. We trust every coach to put us in the right position. And ultimately, it’s up to us to go and make those plays and come away with a win and do what we need to do.

Q. You, X (Xavier Johnson), and [Bennett] Christian are the only guys who run out of eligibility on the entire roster. For you and X specifically, have you guys talked about this together, how much you guys have been through on the roster? You could name someone everybody else would forget. What are those conversations like with you and X who have been through the coaching change with Urban [Meyer] to Coach [Ryan] Day?

S JOSH PROCTOR: It’s just a blessing, man, because some people don’t even get to get this far. Honestly, I don’t take any of it for granted. Even though I went through all the injuries and everything, I’m here, still here. I’m breathing, I’m living, I’m happy. It’s a blessing.

But we talk about it a lot. Just crazy to think, over the time, all the people we have seen, all the different personalities we have been around. Even me and him, like, we have grown. When I first met him, we were way different than we are now.

Q. You were a top 100 recruit, walk on. He was playing running back.

S JOSH PROCTOR: Exactly. You just never know. You just never know.

Q. Have you bonded over that? Are you better friends because of those first couple years when you were playing offense/defense?

S JOSH PROCTOR: We have always been close, even our freshman year. We had so many transfers in the 2018 class. We have been a class that’s wanted to stick together no matter what happened. So I would say we are pretty close.

Q. There’s a lot riding on this game for you. How do you make sure you don’t let your emotions get the best of you early in this game or things like that?

S JOSH PROCTOR: I have been through a lot of these, honestly. I have been through a lot of them. Like I said, it’s definitely a big game, but I’m confident to go out there and do my job. I know what to do.

Q. Talking about the game itself, Missouri’s offense, Luther Burden, what do you see when you watch film of Luther and just how they operate their offense?

S JOSH PROCTOR: It’s an explosive offense. It’s a very explosive offense. They are a talented team. Quarterback (Brady Cook), I think he’s a 3,000 yard passer. They have a 1,000 yard rusher and receiver.

We got to come win it. It’s not going to be an easy game. It’s going to be a tough one. We just got to focus on this game plan and come in and work it.