Tucson native and former Ohio State safety Lathan Ransom was drafted by the Carolina Panthers at No. 122 overall in the fourth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday in Green Bay.
This year marks the third straight year a Tucsonan was drafted to the NFL. Last year, the Green Bay Packers drafted former Marana offensive lineman Jordan Morgan in the first round.
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, Ransom's teammate at Salpointe Catholic, was drafted eighth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Ransom and Robinson will now face each other twice a year as NFC South opponents.
Ransom joins former Arizona star receiver Tetairoa McMillan as draftees by the Panthers this year. McMillan was selected eighth overall in the first round on Friday.
The hard-hitting Ransom recently ended his roller coaster journey at Ohio State with a national championship. Ransom's OSU teammate, linebacker Jack Sawyer, was the subsequent pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 123 overall.
Throughout his time at Ohio State, Ransom suffered multiple injuries that sidelined him for several games. He had a gruesome leg injury in the 2021 Rose Bowl, but returned to "the granddaddy of them all" as a senior and helped the Buckeyes win the Rose Bowl and advance in the College Football Playoff.
In his final season as a Buckeye, Ransom became an All-Big Ten selection and posted a career-high 75 tackles, three forced fumbles and an interception.
Ransom is the latest Tucsonan to play in the NFL and now joins Robinson, Morgan, New York Giants linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and free agent cornerback Levi Wallace, who played for the Denver Broncos last season.
The Panthers face the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale this season. The official NFL schedule will be released on Wednesday, May 14.
