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Ohio State Football 2024 Defense Preview: The Best D in the Country Will Dominate
By Pete Fiutak,
4 hours ago
Ohio State Football Preview 2024: Defense
Sep 2, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end JT Tuimoloau (44) celebrates a tackle of Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Tayven Jackson (2) during the NCAA football game at Indiana University Memorial Stadium. Ohio State won 23-3.
- The offense is about to be a lot more interesting with Chip Kelly coming in to take things up a notch. The Buckeye defense is set with Jim Knowles back for his third season as the coordinator.
It’s about to get scary.
The 146 points allowed were the fewest given up by a Buckeye defense since 1998, and the 11.2 points per game by the nation’s second-best scoring defense—behind Michigan—was the lowest mark since giving up 10.9 per game in 1996.
Seven starters return, and the fill-ins are every bit as strong - if not better in some spots. It all starts with …
Ohio State Defensive Line: It will be a whole other level of special.
There wasn’t a big pass rush and there weren’t a ton of tackles for loss, but the run defense was strong and the pressure was always there from the nation’s No. 3 D. It all starts up front with the nation’s best defensive line.
All four starters are NFL talents, and there’s not a massive drop-off to the twos.
JT Tuimoloau is a heart-and-soul type at one end with his toughness and energy - making 38 tackles with five sacks and seven tackles for loss - but Jack Sawyer did a little more behind the line with 6.5 sack and ten tackles for loss.
Both of them are first round draft picks next season, and there’s more talent behind them.
Eddrick Houston is a superstar recruit with a world of upside, and Kenyatta Jackson and Caden Curry will see plenty of action.
There’s an even better rotation in the interior. Tyleik Williams is close to 330 pounds at one tackle and Ty Hamilton is an ultra-quick nose tackle for his 295-pound size.
These two don’t get moved - they combined for 91 tackles - and 305-pound Hero Kanu and 325-pound Kayden McDonald are too good to not see more time.
Ohio State Linebackers: The “weakness” is relative.
- The rest of the Buckeye positions are so good that the linebackers take a wee step back by comparison. They’re more than fine.
The top two tackling pair of Steele Chambers and Tommy Eichenberg combined for 165 stops - they’re done.
Cody Simon, though, was a good one in the middle late last season and ended up finishing fourth on the team with 57 tackles including 12 in the Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri.
Sonny Styles is a dangerous hybrid defender on the outside who made 53 tackles with two sacks, and CJ Hicks is about to be a big stat-sheet filler with a potential starting job on the weakside.
Ohio State Defensive Backs: If you think the rest of the Buckeye positions are strong …
- The Ohio State secondary is so talented it’s almost unfair. The corner combination of Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun can tackle and make a ton of plays. Burke broke up nine passes, picked off a throw, and made 24 tackles, and Igbinosun made 59 tackles with five broken up throws.
The starting twosome is set, and Jordan Hancock has to play somewhere. He’s a super-quick all-around playmaker who made 41 tackles with two picks - taking one for a score - with five broken up passes. Jermaine Mathews will be a star when he gets his chance.
The safety combination of Lathan Ransom and Alabama transfer Caleb Downs is too good to still be in college. Ransom made 74 tackles in 2022, but last season he was banged up and missed the back part of the season, finishing with 34 tackles with an interception.
Downs is special. This was already a loaded team with a jaw-dropping array of talent, but Downs steps in as, arguably, the most talented player of the bunch. Nothing this offseason did anything to diminish his incredible hype.
There’s a huge dip to the backups, but that’s because the main men are so good. Malik Hartford, Jayden Bonsu, and South Carolina transfer Keenan Nelson have skills, but they need more time logged in.
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