Ohio State is bringing back another familiar face to handle the Victory Bell on Saturday, and this time it’s Malcolm Jenkins.
The Buckeyes announced Thursday that the former Ohio State defensive back will serve as the Victory Bell Ringer before the Maryland game. Ohio State’s post on X called him “THE Bell Ringer when we take on the Terrapins, 2x Super Bowl Champion Malcolm Jenkins @OhioStateFB | #GoBucks”.
Jenkins built his Ohio State legacy from 2005-08, piling up 196 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, one sack and 11 interceptions. Two of those picks went the other way for touchdowns.
He also became one of just three Buckeyes to win the Jim Thorpe Award, joining Antoine Winfield in 1998 and Caleb Downs in 2025. By the end of his college run, Jenkins had added three first-team All-Big Ten honors and consensus All-America recognition as a senior in 2008.
His career only grew from there. Jenkins spent time with the New Orleans Saints from 2009-13 and again from 2020-21, and with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2014-19.
Across 199 career appearances, he finished with 1,044 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 20 forced fumbles, 21 interceptions and eight defensive touchdowns. He won two Super Bowls, earned three Pro Bowl nods and picked up one second-team All-Pro selection before retiring in 2022.
Since then, Jenkins has stayed in the spotlight in a different way. He released his memoir, What Winners Won't Tell You, in 2023, and the Eagles added him to their Hall of Fame in 2025.
Jenkins is the fourth Victory Bell Ringer for Ohio State this season, following Maurice Clarett for Ball State, James Laurinaitis for Illinois and Katie Smith for Kent State.
In Other News...
Former Ohio State Coach Brian Hartline Just Took A Brutal First Step Back
Brian Hartlines first months at South Florida had gone smoothly enough, with the former Ohio State offensive coordinator off to a 4-1 start before a stumble at UTSA snapped the momentum. The trip also came with a side note that got plenty of attention, after Hartline made comments about the noise inside the opponents stadium and then had those remarks revisited in a very public way once the game was over.
From Ohio States perspective, Hartlines next chapter is still part of the larger coaching tree story, but the Buckeyes have their own issues to sort out as the schedule rolls on. The offense has had trouble getting the rushing game where it needs to be, and while Hartline is now trying to settle in as a head coach, his rough first step back served as another reminder that the margins get small fast once conference and nonconference tests start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Elite Passing Game Is Hiding A Bigger Running Back Issue
Ohio States passing game has been humming along at a level few teams in the country can match, but the ground game is carrying a very different kind of conversation. The Buckeyes sit 81st in rushing yards per attempt, a ranking that stands out for a team with this much offensive firepower and one that has had to lean on a rotating backfield rather than finding a clear weekly answer.
The workload has bounced among Ja'Kobi Jackson, Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, with true freshman Legend Bey also part of the early mix. Beys limited role has drawn attention because of questions around why his touches have thinned out, and while there has been speculation about professionalism concerns, nothing has been officially confirmed. For a team built to pressure defenses in every way, the bigger issue may be less about who is getting the carries and more about whether Ohio State has settled on the right one. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Brings Coaching Drama And A Defense Ohio State Can Exploit
Maryland arrives with plenty of noise around the program, and not much of it has anything to do with what happens between the lines. The uncertainty around Mike Locksleys future has hung over the Terps for a while now, with the athletic director potentially waiting until after the bye week to make a call, and that backdrop only adds to the sense that Ohio State is catching Maryland at a tense moment. At the same time, the offensive side has slipped, with Malik Washingtons play trending down and the Terps searching for steadier footing.
There is still enough on the defensive front to make Maryland worth studying, especially along the line, where a few key pieces can flash and disrupt a game if the rest of the unit holds together. The problem, as Michael Howes pointed out, is that the tackling has not been dependable enough, and those misses have repeatedly undercut the defense. For Ohio State, that creates a familiar sort of opportunity, one that starts with pressure up front and can quickly turn into a longer afternoon for a defense already carrying too much uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]