For the second year in a row, no Ohio players were selected in the NFL Draft. That doesn’t mean, however, that former Bobcats will miss out on the chance to play on Sundays.
Two former Bobcats, Javon Hagan and Austen Pleasants, were signed as undrafted free agents to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars, respectively, following the draft.
Hagan, a Jacksonville native, was excited about the opportunity to return to his home state. He tweeted, “I wish camp was tomorrow” on his personal page. He also likes his chances of possibly winning a Super Bowl ring his rookie season.
But first, Hagan will have to make Buccaneers roster. All four of his seasons, he was a staple for the Bobcats’ defense. Hagan, a 6-foot, 215-pound safety, was twice selected to the All-MAC First Team and twice to the All-MAC second team. He ended his career in Athens with 318 tackles, 26 pass breakups, nine forced fumbles and six interceptions.
Hagan isn’t the only Bobcat in the Sunshine State, though.
Austen Pleasants received his offer from the Jaguars moments after the draft ended, and the Ironton, Ohio, native has already embraced Duval County. Pleasants, a 6-foot-7, 315-pound offensive lineman nicknamed “Big Red,” could be in the mix to add the Jaguars some depth to their struggling offensive line. During his time at Ohio, Pleasants played in 37 games and was an All-MAC second-team selection in 2019.
Hagan and Pleasants will hope to add to Ohio’s NFL resume. According to Ourlads.com, Ohio has three active players in the NFL. T.J. Carrie (Indianapolis Colts), Tarell Basham (New York Jets) and Quentin Poling (Las Vegas Raiders) are the others.
