Dallas Gant was a 4-star recruit when he signed with the Ohio State Buckeyes out of the class of 2018. He graduated in the spring of 2022 and, with his remaining year of eligibility, opted to return to his hometown and transfer to Toledo, where his father was a former football player and his mother was a cheerleader.

On Saturday, Gant is set to make his return to Ohio Stadium as the Rockets take on the Buckeyes at 7 p.m. ET. And when he arrives on campus and sets foot inside the Horseshoe once more, the memories are sure to be coming back.

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“I don’t think I would be half the player I was if I went anywhere else,” he told Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors on Monday. “think that the coaches there are incredible. I think that the players are phenomenal. I think playing against the best is a great opportunity every day for practice. And molded me into the person that I am and the player that I am.”

While Gant, whose 20 tackles leads the Rockets, looks back at his time at Ohio State with fondness, playing close to home was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

“You’ve got your family here and supporters everywhere and familiar faces everywhere,” he said. “I’m playing a lot of football. I have a family in these players. I think I’m well-respected here, and I respect a lot of the players here.”