C. J. Hicks

C. J. Hicks (born December 1, 2003) is an American college football defensive end for the South Florida Bulls. He previously played for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Early life Hicks grew up in Dayton, Ohio. He attended Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering, Ohio, where he won Ohio's Division III Defensive Player of the Year in 2021, after recording 84 tackles, 18 for loss, and 2 interceptions. During his high school career, he played multiple defensive positions, such as strong safety, or outside linebacker, and was also awarded two first-team All-Ohio selections. Coming out of high school, Hicks was rated as one of the best players in the 2022 recruiting class. before ultimately committing to Ohio State. Against Michigan in the 2022 edition of The Game, Hicks exited the game after the opening kickoff with a knee injury in the 45–23 loss. During the 2023 season, Hicks played a career-high 71 snaps, in which 18 of the snaps he played during the Buckeyes' 38–3 win over Michigan State was also a career-high, but in a single game. So far in his college career, Hicks has racked up 14 tackles, with 1 being for loss. Hicks also took snaps at weakside linebacker as well.

Heading into the 2025 season, Hicks made the switch to defensive end.