Ohio State freshman Khary Wilder was officially declared a Buckeye.
Wilder had his black stripe removed on Saturday, following the Buckeyes' first scrimmage of preseason camp. Wilder got his stripe removed, as did freshman quarterback Luke Fahey, a process that marks an early milestone for the two young players.
The 6-foot-4, 257 pound defensive end is the latest freshman this year to lose his black stripe, a list that includes Fahey, and Jay Timmons.
The black stripe tradition was started by Urban Meyer, who had been implementing it in earlier stops in his coaching career. Newcomers arrive and have a black stripe placed through the center of their helmets, and it remains until coaches feel the player has shown enough on and off the field to show they are worthy of being in the Ohio State football program. Ryan Day has continued the tradition, and it has become a type of rite of passage for those in Columbus.
🚨 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁 🚨
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 15, 2026
The Rushmen got themselves one of them ones 👀 Welcome to the Brotherhood, @WilderKhary 🌰 pic.twitter.com/I7PJ5obX2q
While the removal of the black stripe has no effect or impact on where a player is on a depth chart, getting his removed early suggests that Wilder has had a promising start to Ohio State career and could earn himself an opportunity to play sooner rather than later.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Black Stripe Alert! Freshman Khary Wilder latest in Buckeye tradition