A five-year Ohio State starter who won a national title before becoming a hard-hitting fixture in Carolina's secondary.
Lathan Ransom arrived in Carolina as a fourth-round pick out of Ohio State, bringing a reputation as a physical, high-IQ safety who had already seen just about everything college football could throw at him. He turned that experience into a steady rookie season, quickly becoming a trusted piece of the Panthers defense.
Path to the league
Ransom spent five seasons at Ohio State, appearing in 56 games and racking up 227 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, three interceptions and six forced fumbles over his career. He capped his college run by helping the Buckeyes win the College Football Playoff national championship, then was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 122nd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
At Ohio State, Ransom won two Rose Bowls, a Cotton Bowl and a Big Ten championship, and earned First-team All-Big Ten honors in his final season, tying for the team lead with three forced fumbles. That combination of durability and production made him one of the more experienced defensive backs available in his draft class.
2025 season recap
Ransom logged 51 tackles, an interception, two pass breakups and a forced fumble across 16 games in his rookie season with Carolina. His signature moment came in Week 16, when he intercepted former Panther Baker Mayfield to help seal a win over Tampa Bay, and his run defense graded among the best of any safety in the league.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Lathan Ransom
- Pro Football Reference: Lathan Ransom
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
16 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | panthers | 16 | 51 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Safety
- Group
- defense
- College
- Ohio State
- Hometown
- Tucson, AZ, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
