Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has made a point of saying that true freshman offensive linemen should not start for the Buckeyes.
The same rules don't apply to the defensive linemen at Ohio State.
In 2012, both Noah Spence and Adolphus Washington saw significant time along Ohio State's defensive front, and one year later, Joey Bosa burst onto the scene. After 2014 and 2015 were dominated by upperclassmen, Bosa's younger brother Nick came to Columbus and was second on the team in sacks as a freshman in 2016.
It appears Chase Young could be the next young lineman in line to make an impact right out of the gate as a freshman. Listed at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds on Ohio State's roster, defensive coordinator Greg Schiano said Wednesday that Young plays even bigger than his frame.
"He is pretty advanced. He has been a fast study in Coach (Larry) Johnson's teaching," Schiano said. "He has tremendous range and length as a defender. Guys who have that kind of radius when they stick their limbs up, can make a lot of things happen. They can make tackles, knock down balls. They can reach linemen faster and pull and set themselves free. He is an extremely long 265-270 pound guy that is quite athletic."
Johnson is entering his fourth season as Ohio State's defensive line coach after a long and successful stint at Penn State from 1996-2013. Johnson has coached the likes of Courtney Brown and Tamba Hali to name a few, in addition to the names he has had in Columbus since joining the team in 2014.
While he isn't quite at the level of the great players Johnson has coached yet, the longtime defensive coach said Young will see the field as a true freshman.
"I think we will get him in the game and he will have a chance to play," Johnson said Monday. "We are going to bring him on slow and make sure we don't throw too much at him. We are trying to build reps in practice."
Another player that earned time as a true freshman under Johnson is Jalyn Holmes, who is now entering his senior season with the Buckeyes.
Holmes, who was named one of nine Ohio State captains for the 2017 season, said Monday that Young's speed on the field and in the meeting room has impressed him.
"Speed, and the speed of him learning things. It doesn't take him long to learn things," Holmes said. "He has a competitive edge and that is going to take him a long way."
