Last season, Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa said if he were to break the school’s single-season sack record, he would trade in his trademark shrug for something a little more daring.
“I’d probably do a backflip,” Bosa said.
He came close, too, but never had the opportunity to put his high-flying skills on display. Bosa finished the 2014 campaign with 13.5 sacks, just shy of Vernon Gholston’s school record of 14 set back in 2007.
Bosa also finished his sophomore season with 21.5 tackles for loss — third-most all time at Ohio State for a single season — as he was named a unanimous first-team All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
As a result, Bosa has skyrocketed up NFL Draft boards. Many experts have him currently pegged as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, should he opt to declare following this upcoming season.
Because of the mass amount of success Bosa has had throughout his first two years in Columbus, expectations are high for the 6-foot-6, 275-pound defensive end.
“I think he should be the best D-lineman in America,” head coach Urban Meyer said this spring.
But while Bosa certainly should and will improve as an individual player in 2015, that doesn’t mean his stats will make a jump. Production, numbers-wise, may decrease as teams will almost certainly scheme against Bosa on the majority of their offensive snaps. Should that happen, should Bosa get double and triple teamed on occasion, his fellow defensive players would become free to make plays.
None of that matters to Bosa, though, as long as the Buckeyes continue to win games.
| YEAR | TACKLES | TFL | SACKS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 44 | 13.5 | 7.5 |
| 2014 | 55 | 21 | 13.5 |
“Just keep improving because obviously I can do better,” Bosa said in the spring. “I can always improve my game and we can win again so that’s always the goal.”
Jadeveon Clowney, who had eerily similar numbers to Bosa throughout his first two seasons at South Carolina, saw a significant dropoff in his statistics during his junior season. Clowney totaled just three sacks during his final season in Columbia after combining for 21 over his first two seasons.
But Clowney’s lack of production wasn’t linked to schemes. Many thought Clowney was protecting himself, not wanting to get hurt as he, like Bosa, was projected to be a top pick in the NFL Draft.
Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson said that won’t be an issue for Bosa.
“It will never happen,” he said. “Just be very clear that will never happen.”
Perhaps Bosa will surpass his numbers from 2014. After all, he’s one of the most talented defensive players to have come through Ohio State in recent memory.
But the purpose of this column is to prepare Buckeye fans for a possible drop off in numbers. It’s not a knock on Bosa, but instead an ode to his brilliance. He’s good enough to make teams scheme against him and try to avoid him on the field. That’s a compliment. It may be frustrating at times for the individual, but as long as Bosa doesn’t allow that frustration to affect his game everything will be fine.
When you surround one great player with other great players like Ohio State will have on its 2015 defense, you get a great unit. That’s where the Buckeyes sit as they try to defend a national championship.
“I just want this team to be remembered as something great," Bosa said during spring practice. "We definitely will for last year, but new team, new year and we’re trying to repeat.”
