With spring football in the books, Eleven Warriors will look back over the next week at what we learned from each position group heading into the offseason.
If there was one position group on Ohio State’s defense that had the most question marks entering spring ball, it was the defensive line.
After 15 spring practices, it appears Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer apparently has some answers.
Ohio State returns two very key parts of its defensive line in 2015. All-American junior defensive end Joey Bosa will be his usual terror off the edge and senior defensive tackle Adolphus Washington is one of the top interior lineman in the Big Ten. At those spots, the Buckeyes will be just fine.
But Ohio State also has to find a way to replace Washington’s running mate on the interior last year, Michael Bennett, and a surprisingly productive end opposite Bosa, Steve Miller. Bennett was a captain for the Buckeyes and one of their most productive defensive players. Miller made one of the season’s biggest plays when he returned an interception for a touchdown in Ohio State’s Sugar Bowl win over Alabama.
Before spring ball began, Meyer addressed replacing Bennett as one of his main concerns as the Buckeyes began preparation for their national title defense. Throughout spring ball, it appears senior defensive tackle Tommy Schutt has emerged as the man who will replace Bennett in the fall.
“Tommy Schutt has had a very good spring,” Meyer said following Saturday’s spring game.
“We’ve gotta get better, we’ve gotta improve and challenge the younger players,” Johnson said this spring. “We’re doing that right now and the young players are starting to step up.”– Larry Johnson
The defensive end slot appears to be a bit more cloudy, but that’s not for a lack of options. Tyquan Lewis seems to be the leading candidate to start despite suffering a shoulder injury, but redshirt freshman Sam Hubbard is there, as well. Hubbard was the standout among the defensive linemen in Saturday’s spring game. Sophomore Jalyn Holmes has been pushing for playing time, too.
“(Lewis) is a guy that’s pencilled in to be in the rotation,” Meyer said, “along with Sam Hubbard.”
With Bosa, Lewis, Hubbard and Holmes, the Buckeyes seem to have adequate depth at the defensive end position. The depth on the interior, though, is another one of Meyer’s concerns. Right now, Ohio State is confident in Washington and Schutt on the inside. After that, though, it starts to get a little cloudy.
Joel Hale moved back from offensive line to defensive line and could provide the Buckeyes with some depth on the interior. According to coaches and players, Hale had been playing well this spring before suffering a calf injury. But Ohio State needs someone like Donovan Munger, Tracy Sprinkle or Michael Hill to step up and give Meyer and defensive line coach Larry Johnson the eight-to-10-man rotation they want up front.
“Very disappointed a year ago in the backup group. I’d like to get a rotation," Meyer said this spring. "We should have 10 guys rotating and we didn’t have it so a lot of pressure has been put on them."
The Buckeyes’ defensive line was so effective last year because Bennett and Washington's interior play meant teams couldn’t afford to double-team Bosa at all times. In order for the unit to be as strong this year, the players filling in will need to be just as effective.
“We’ve gotta get better, we’ve gotta improve and challenge the younger players,” Johnson said this spring. “We’re doing that right now and the young players are starting to step up.”
