Cleveland, OH
Which Ohio State safety could be next in line on an uncertain depth chart?
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State brought in just two safeties in the 2024 class, the highest-rated of which is Jaylen McClain.
And the New Jersey-product might have a massive role with the Buckeyes sooner rather than later.
Ohio State has Ja’Had Cater, Lathan Ransom, Sonny Styles, Jayden Bonsu, Malik Hartford, Cedrick Hawkins and Leroy Roker also on the depth chart at the position. And after the 2024 season, Carter, Ransom and Styles might no longer be in the room.
Which means that McClain could be called upon to help bridge a gap at this point next year.
“Another guy that had a great year, his team had a great season, in a position of need,” coach Ryan Day said. “He’s a guy who was very productive in his high school career, certainly had a great senior year.”
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McClain, the No. 269 prospect and No. 28 safety in the 2024 class, was rated as a four-star player from New Jersey. Paired with Roker, McClain was far and away the highest-rated safety in the class. But while his freshman year will likely be spent in a reserve role, with a likely redshirt year coming, the future for McClain could be bright.
Ohio State has not landed elite, highly rated players at safety like the rest of the defensive room has done. At cornerback and on the defensive line, the Buckeyes have brought in five-star players. That has left the future uncertain for who can take over.
At 6-feet and 185 pounds, McClain is a versatile player that can play well on the back-end in coverage — he played cornerback in high school. And, as many will note, he’s a more than willing tackler when it comes time to do so.
The safety room for Ohio State, unlike some other positions on the roster, is wildly uncertain for 2025 and beyond. Simply, there’s not a clear next-in-line safety tandem that would have been the case had Ohio State signed K.J. Bolden or Caleb Downs or Koi Perich.
And that’s where Ohio State hopes, and might need, McClain to step up.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A Cuyahoga County grand jury returned an indictment charging the 28-year-old Cleveland mother accused of killing her two young daughters and burying them in suitcases in a field.
Aliyah Henderson is charged with aggravated murder in the deaths of her daughters — Amor Wilson, 10, and Mila Chatman, 8, who were half-sisters.
On Friday, Henderson was indicted on the following charges:
- Six counts of aggravated murder
- Four counts of murder
- Six counts of kidnapping
- Four counts of felonious assault
- Three counts of child endangering
- One count of tampering with evidence
- Two counts of gross abuse of a corpse
Henderson has no prior record and no history of violence.
Read the full indictment below:
She will be arraigned at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center at a later date.
At a previous court date, the public defender’s office asked the judge to represent Henderson in the criminal case, citing an existing relationship established through a separate custody matter involving Henderson’s third child. The state objected.
Private attorney Kevin Spellacy will now represent Henderson in the criminal case. The public defender’s office will continue to represent her in the custody case involving the surviving child.
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The bodies of Amor and Mila were found the evening of March 2 in partially buried suitcases near E. 162nd Street and Midland Avenue in Cleveland’s South Collinwood neighborhood.
A good Samaritan walking his dog discovered the suitcases after snow had kept him from the area for some time. His dog detected the scent, and he immediately called 911. Officers found a second body nearby when they arrived.
Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said the victims had been there for some time.
“These were two young lives with their entire futures ahead of them,” said Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd. “Our detectives worked tirelessly and with great care to identify those responsible. Investigations of this nature require patience, precision, and discretion. Unlike what is often portrayed on television, every detail cannot be shared publicly. Certain information must remain confidential to protect the integrity of the investigation and ensure justice for these victims. That careful and methodical work allowed our detectives to develop the evidence needed to make quick identification of a person of interest, ultimately resulting in an arrest.”
Henderson was arrested on March 4 at a home on E. 162nd Street after officers executed a search warrant.
A 6-year-old child found inside the home appeared to be in good health and is now in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services.
At this time, she is being held in jail.
A memorial near where the girls were found has continued to grow with teddy bears, flowers and balloons.
Funeral services for Mila Chatman and Amor Wilson will be held on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at Mount Sinai Friendship United, located at 7510 Woodland Avenue in Cleveland.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
If you’ve followed NCAA wrestling long enough, you know the Division I National Championships are must-see TV.
Storylines write themselves, especially when it comes to the finals.
With that in mind, here are three you shouldn’t miss on March 21.
133 pounds: Jax Forrest (Oklahoma State) vs. Ben Davino (Ohio State)
Davino has become the fan favorite of the tournament after winning the rubber match against world champion Marcus Blaze in the semifinals. Like the first two matches between the Penn State sensation and Davino, it went into ultimate tiebreaker. Like the Big Ten Tournament, Davino once again did just enough to win.
Forrest has been the talk of the tournament and lived up to his No. 1 seed despite being a high school senior at Bishop McCort, Pa., in December. Like Blaze, he’s a world champion and was the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the country before coming to Oklahoma State.
141 pounds: Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) vs. Sergio Vega (Oklahoma State)
This one isn’t the lock it sounds like as Mendez goes for his third consecutive title. Vega knows how to shrink the mat and hasn’t given up a takedown all season.
Like Vega, Mendez doesn’t give up many points. Mendez and Lehigh’s Luke Stanich went to overtime before the Buckeye scored a takedown. Vega vs. Brock Hardy (Nebraska) was 5-3. Expect the national champion to give Mendez a great match.
184 pounds: Rocco Welsh (Penn State) vs. Max McEnelly (Minnesota)
Welsh and McEnelly met in the Big Ten Tournament, where Welsh pulled out a 2-1 win in the semifinals. The Minnesota standout almost beat five-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci in the Big Ten last season, so he’s been known to be a gamer. The All-American won a U20 World title last summer and a U.S. Open title.
Welsh was a national runner-up for the Buckeyes last season before making the move to Happy Valley. The two-time Pennsylvania state and Ironman champ is the No. 1 seed coming in.
As we said, the storylines here write themselves.
Brad Bournival can be reached by email at bbournival@usatodayco.com and is on X at @bbournival.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cleveland Division of Police, the United States Marshals Service, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol arrested 33 people in the Northeast, Ohio area, Thursday as part of “Operation Smoke and Mirrors.”
The arrests came after an investigation that started in the fall of 2025 by the Cartel, Gang, Narcotics, and Laundering Task Force, Cleveland Police’s Second District Vice Unit, and the Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiative, which focused on the distribution of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine in Cleveland’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood.
The operation netted 252 grams of cocaine, 250 grams of fentanyl, 250 grams of methamphetamine, 50 grams of MDMA(ecstasy), and multiple guns.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office was able to indict 40 people as a result of the investigation.
“Operation Smoke & Mirrors underscores the power of collaboration and intelligence-driven policing in dismantling dangerous criminal networks across our region,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “I commend the dedicated members of the Cleveland Division of Police, along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, for their exceptional work in bringing these individuals to justice and protecting our residents from violent offenders who threaten the stability of our communities.”
“This operation reflects our Division’s ongoing commitment to working diligently and collaboratively to address serious threats to our community,” said Chief Dorothy Todd. “We are grateful for the coordinated efforts of the Cleveland Division of Police and our law enforcement partners in identifying and investigating criminal activity. Together, we remain dedicated to ensuring accountability and maintaining the safety of those we serve.”
The 33 people were arrested in several cities throughout Northeast Ohio, including Cleveland, Bedford Heights, Euclid, Maple Heights, and Dayton.
The investigation remains ongoing, and more arrests are possible, according to a press release from the Cleveland Division of Police.
Check back with 19 News for the latest on this story.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
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