During Larry Johnson's tenure at Ohio State, his reputation of being the best defensive line coach in the country has been largely built on the development of star pass-rushing defensive ends such as Chase Young and the Bosa brothers. Coach Johnson has also excelled at recruiting highly talented defensive ends such as 2019 signee Zach Harrison and 2021 commit Jack Sawyer.
That said, he's also produced some excellent defensive tackles during his time, including Dre'Mont Jones and Adolphus Washington, to name a couple. He might have one of his best ones yet coming to Columbus in 2021 in Mike Hall, a four-star commit out of Streetsboro High School in Streetsboro, Ohio.
Hall, who committed to the Buckeyes in early February, gives the Buckeyes a perfect complement to Sawyer in the class of 2021. On the inside of the defensive line, Hall has quick hands, an explosive burst and college-ready power. These are three traits in Hall's game that could make him a future star at the 3-technique spot in Ohio State's defensive front. We take a closer look at those three traits and why they should help Hall be successful during his time in Columbus.
Quick hands
Part of being a talented defensive lineman is having fast hands and being able to use them for pass-rushing moves. Hall has very quick hands that he couples with swim and chop moves to get by opposing blockers. In addition to using those hands as a pass-rusher, Hall has a skill for knocking the ball out of opponents' hands to force fumbles. Those hands should only get better once he starts working with Johnson.
Here are three plays from Hall's junior highlights that show off how well he uses his hands already:
- Play one: Left of the screen. Lined up at 3-technique, Hall uses a quick swim move to get inside the offensive lineman. From there, he tracks down the quarterback and wraps him up for a sack while also poking the ball out for a sack-fumble.
- Play two: Off the screen to the left. Hall is in his pass-rushing set and as the quarterback tries to take off to his end, he takes a quick swipe at the ball and forces another fumble.
- Play three: Bottom of the screen to the left. Similar to the first play, Hall is lined up to the outside and uses a quick inside swim move to lay a big hit on the quarterback, who barely gets the ball away.
Right now, Hall's primarily pass-rushing move is his swim move, but he has a great foundation for Johnson to further develop once he gets to Columbus.
Short-area burst
Another trait that makes Hall a top talent on the defensive line is his quickness in a small space. This means how quickly he can engage and get past offensive linemen, often doing so before they can even land their initial punch. Hall is not a refined pass-rusher right now, but that will change once he arrives in Columbus, and he will be a tough matchup for opposing offensive linemen once he syncs up his moves with his quickness.
These few plays from Hall's film showcase his explosive burst:
- Play one: Middle of the screen to the right. Hall needs no pass-rush moves this time as he simply uses his quickness to sneak past the offensive lineman for a tackle for loss.
- Play two: Top of the screen off to the right. Hall shows off some real speed as he goes from a yard deep in the backfield to track down the ball carrier from behind, limiting the runner to a short gain.
- Play three: Middle of the screen to the left. Hall gets through the mess of potential blockers and eventually beats the running back to the edge for a quick stop.
Hall's athleticism is top-notch for a defensive tackle, and it increases his potential to be a future star for the Buckeyes.
Powerful punch and finish
A definite requirement for Johnson's defensive linemen is they have to pack a punch and be powerful when they finish. Hall has that necessary strength and power right now as a high school junior. Hall's power will continue to improve once he arrives in Columbus and starts training with Mickey Marotti, but he already has nearly college-ready strength.
Below are a few plays that highlight Hall's power:
- Play one: Middle of the screen. He uses a swim move to get past the blocker and quickly meets the running back in the backfield, planting the ballcarrier in the dirt for a loss.
- Play two: Top of the screen to the right. Hall slides right past the offensive tackle and drills the quarterback as he tries to throw, causing an incompletion.
- Play three: Center of the screen. Hall blows right through the center at the nose guard spot and tosses him to the side as he grabs the ballcarrier, who he stops for a loss.
Hall's combination of power, athleticism and hand skill are why the Buckeyes made him one of their early priorities among in-state prospects in the class of 2021.
