With Tyquan Lewis sidelined due to offseason surgery, Ohio State’s defensive line had exactly zero returning starters practicing this spring. There were some names familiar to Buckeyes fans, sure, but last year’s starting group — Lewis, Adolphus Washington, Tommy Schutt and Joey Bosa — was all gone.
It was a crucial period for Larry Johnson’s inexperienced unit and last weekend’s spring game certainly showcased there is no shortage of talent even after losing so many key pieces.
“I thought they made a lot [of progress], especially the guys on the inside,” Johnson said this week. “Different world, different way of playing and at the end of the day, after 15 practices, I thought they really improved.”
Despite the departure of Bosa, Ohio State is still pretty set at defensive end. Lewis should be full-go shortly and will certainly be 100 percent by the time fall camp rolls around. He led the Buckeyes in sacks one season ago with eight and has a chance to be an All-Big Ten performer in the fall. But Ohio State also has Sam Hubbard returning and Hubbard is slated to replace Bosa as the other starting defensive end. Jalyn Holmes will be the third defensive end, and he’ll likely fill a role similar to the one Hubbard had a year ago.
Rashod Berry, who moved from tight end to defensive end, and Darius Slade could be options for the rotation at the end position, as well.
“I want to be as dominant in the run as any defensive end can be like Tyquan and Joey were last year,” Hubbard said this spring of what he hopes to improve. “And then just continuing to improve my pass-rush skills. It’s just an ongoing process, putting in spin moves and stuff like that.”
Where the Buckeyes had the biggest question mark, as Johnson eluded to, was at defensive tackle. Having to replace Washington, Schutt as well as Joel Hale is no small task.
Ohio State lost a rotational guy this spring as it was ruled redshirt junior Donovan Munger’s career would be over due to a blood clot issue he dealt with for years. Head coach Urban Meyer said Wednesday that Munger was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism.
Redshirt juniors Tracy Sprinkle and Michael Hill practiced all spring as the first-team defensive tackles, while Ohio State rotated quite a few younger guys behind those two. Redshirt freshmen Jashon Cornell and Dre’Mont Jones were both moved inside from their defensive end positions and both, by all accounts, had great springs and figure to be in the rotation come fall. DaVon Hamilton and Robert Landers, another pair of redshirt freshmen, also impressed and will battle for playing time.
“I thought DaVon Hamilton, I thought BB [Landers] really came along as we moved forward,” Johnson said. “Jashon, Dre’Mont really did a nice job behind Tracy playing. Those six guys did a great job for us.”
The coaching staff also spoke highly of freshman early enrollee Jonathon Cooper, one of Ohio State’s highest-ranked prospects in the 2016 recruiting class. And Johnson also stated Nick Bosa figures to be in the rotation along the defensive line somewhere once he arrives in June.
“The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree,” Johnson said of Nick Bosa. “I’ve had a chance to work with Nicky at camps, I’ve spent some time with him, talked to him, we’ve really engaged. I think he has a chance to be a special player.”
There certainly is not a shortage of bodies along Ohio State’s defensive line and that's precisely why Meyer said his No. 1 concern this season is no longer the defensive line, but the offensive line.
It’s still certainly a bit worrisome since the majority of those players are unproven at this level, but the Buckeyes currently feel pretty good about their situation.
“We’ve grown up a lot from last year and we’ve got guys coming in that we’re just reloading,” Lewis said this spring. “Just a bunch of good dudes. There’s just a wave of guys.”
