Urban Meyer announced earlier this week defensive tackle Michael Hill has been indefinitely suspended but that reality won't keep the interior defensive line from being a key cog in the 2017 Buckeye defense.
For his part, Hill did play in all 13 games last year as a starter on the inside tallying 21 stops including 3.0 TFL but when talking about the middle of Ohio State's defensive line, there's no shortage of guys projected to be stud contributors backed up by a host of capable reserves.
That's nothing new since defensive line coach (and assistant head coach) Larry Johnson landed in Columbus following 18 years at Penn State.
Joining Meyer's staff in January of 2014, the interior of his first Buckeye defensive line featured standout performances by Michael Bennett and Adolphus Washington.
| PLAYER | TACKLES (TEAM RANK) | TFL (RANK) | SACKS (RANK) | QBH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL BENNETT | 41 (11) | 14.0 (3) | 7.0 (3) | 3 |
| ADOLPHUS WASHINGTON | 48 (10) | 10.5 (4) | 4.5 (4) | 1 |
Following an impressive 2013 campaign, Bennett picked up where he left off posting the team's third-most TFL (14.0) and sacks (7.0). When not wreaking havoc on his own, Bennett clogged the middle freeing up others to make plays on a defense that wasn't as stout against the run as you might expect ranking 34th nationally (141.33 ypg) on 3.95 yards per carry.
Washington, after spending the 2013 season lining up at multiple spots found a slightly more stable home inside – much of it at noseguard – during the 2014 season and responded with increased production across the board. His 10.5 TFL were 6.5 more than his output from the year prior and his sacks increased nearly doubled to 4.5, good for fourth-best on the team.
Offering support in a reserve role, Tommy Schutt added 10 stops and Donovan Munger posted five as the primary interior backups.
In 2015, Johnson's interior defensive line wasn't as strong with Bennett moving on to the NFL but the overall defense stood taller against the run ranking 22nd nationally yielding 126.85 yards per game on 3.38 per carry.
| PLAYER | TACKLES (TEAM RANK) | TFL (RANK) | SACKS (RANK) | QBH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADOLPHUS WASHINGTON | 49 (T-8) | 7.0 (6) | 4.0 (5) | 4 |
| TOMMY SCHUTT | 25 (12) | 5.0 (7) | 2.5 (7) | 0 |
Playing exclusively in the middle two spots and surrounded by studs, Washington's overall production dropped in 2015 but his effectiveness and overall worth to the team did not. When Coach Johnson signaled for the 'Rushmen' package on passing downs, Washington admirably slid from his three-technique spot to noseguard where the job was to occupy blockers.
Washington actually upped his tackles to 49 in 2015 but dipped in both TFL and sacks as Joey Bosa, Tyquan Lewis and Sam Hubbard combined for 38 TFL and 19.5 sacks.
Alongside Washington, former five-star Tommy Schutt saw action in 10 games as the primary starter at nose guard adding 25 tackles and 5.0 TFL. Schutt obviously never lived up to his blue chip billing while reserves Hill and Joel Hale combined for 24 stops while playing in all 13 games.
Last season, the interior defensive line saw Dre'mont Jones and Hill occupy both interior spots in running situations but Johnson relied more heavily on the 'Rushmen' package than he did in 2015.
| PLAYER | TACKLES (TEAM RANK) | tfl (RANK) | SACKS (RANK) | QBH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRE'MONT JONES | 52 (6) | 4.0 (10) | 0 | 1 |
| MICHAEL HILL | 21 (T-14) | 3.0 (11) | 0 | 0 |
With Jones, Hill and Robert Landers doing most of the work inside, Lewis, Hubbard, Jalyn Holmes and Nick Bosa enjoyed success on the outside as that foursome tallied 34 TFL and 18.5 sacks.
Lost in the sexy that was the 'Rushmen' package thanks to all that talent at defensive end was the breakout season turned in by Jones.
Thrust into a starting role after Tracy Sprinkle suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener against Bowling Green, Jones went bonkers leading all Buckeye defensive linemen with 52 stops while showing a combo of speed and power that'll earn him NFL money, most likely after this season.
With Jones making it hard to take him off the field, Landers didn't see a ton of time but made the most of his opportunities registering 7.5 TFL while flashing his own blend of speed and power. Behind Landers, Davon Hamilton saw less time but has promise as a reserve contributor.
Collectively, the defensive line spearheaded an effort that saw the Buckeyes rank 19th giving up 123.85 rushing yards per game on 3.35 yards per carry.
Turning the page to 2017, Johnson's interior line will be without Hill for at least one game but with Jones expected to take his game to the next level and Sprinkle highly motivated to go out with a bang coming off knee surgery, the starting unit could be nationally elite.
In a reserve role, I expect Landers to again prove he would be a starter at most B1G schools and with Hill back the 2nd-string isn't lacking. Going deeper, the serviceable Hamilton will apparently battle true freshman Haskell Garrett for snaps.
Put all those interior names together and you've got a potentially dominating stew that when combined on the outside with Lewis, Bosa, Hubbard, Holmes and maybe even Chase Young could be the best Johnson has produced during his short time in Columbus.
