As Ohio State’s recruiting class of 2018 enters its pivotal third season in Columbus, we’re taking a look back at each of their first two years as Buckeyes and look ahead at what to expect from them in 2020 and beyond with the Third-Year Reset.
Ohio State will be counting on its class of 2018, which is the highest-rated recruiting class OSU has ever signed, to step up in a big way as it looks to make another run to the College Football Playoff (if there is one) despite the departures of many key players from last season.
Third-Year Reset
Each of them have now been with the Buckeyes for two years, and by the end of the upcoming season – if there is one – all of them will either be on the back end of their Ohio State careers or off to the NFL. So while most of them haven’t played major roles for the Buckeyes yet, the time for them to deliver on their potential is now.
Tyler Friday is one third-year Buckeye who hasn’t gotten a ton of attention going into his junior year at Ohio State, yet could be an important player for the Buckeyes over the next two years.
While fellow third-years Taron Vincent, Tyreke Smith and Tommy Togiai have garnered more hype as potential breakout players, Friday was also a top-100 recruit in the class of 2018 and is likewise expected to be a key player in the defensive line rotation when Ohio State gets back to playing football games.
Before He Became a Buckeye
A standout on both sides of the line at New Jersey high school powerhouse Don Bosco Prep, Friday was offered by Ohio State – just the third team to offer him – after his sophomore season in December 2015. That said, his recruitment would last all the way until January 2018, when he committed to the Buckeyes over Michigan and Alabama.
Playing left tackle on offense and both end and tackle on defense, Friday earned second-team all-state defensive line honors from USA TODAY as a junior and first-team all-state offensive line honors from USA TODAY in his senior season for the Ironmen.
Recruited by the Buckeyes as a defensive end, Friday was ranked as the No. 93 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the class of 2018. He was one of two defensive ends from New Jersey to sign with Ohio State in 2018, along with Javontae Jean-Baptiste.
Career to Date
Friday saw occasional playing time on the back end of Larry Johnson’s defensive line rotation as a true freshman, appearing in 10 games for a total of 85 snaps. As a third-string defensive end, Friday recorded three total tackles, including his first career sack in just his third career game against Tulane.
As a sophomore last season, Friday became a regular in the defensive end rotation, playing 220 snaps over the course of 11 games while missing three games with minor injuries. He started four games, tied for the second-most among Ohio State defensive ends last season, and recorded eight total tackles with three tackles for loss, including sacks against Indiana and Clemson.
While Zach Harrison (284) and Smith (243) both played slightly more snaps than Friday last season, he played more than both of them combined against Wisconsin – a career-high 36 snaps – in the Big Ten Championship Game, demonstrating the Buckeyes’ belief in him as a run defender.
Third-Year Outlook
With Chase Young gone from Ohio State, the Buckeyes will be counting on a multitude of defensive ends to step up and make up for his departed production, and Friday shouldn’t be forgotten in that equation.
Jonathon Cooper is in line to start at one defensive end spot after missing all of last season with an ankle injury, while Smith and Harrison – who are more explosive athletes with higher upside as outside pass-rushers – are widely regarded as the top candidates to start opposite him. But Friday’s role as a regular in the defensive end rotation isn’t going anywhere, and it certainly has the potential to increase, as it’s unlikely any defensive end will be relied upon to play the same amount of snaps that Young was in 2019.
Friday said last year that he was nicknamed “Baby Tyquan” because of his similarities to former Ohio State defensive end Tyquan Lewis, and if Friday can become even close to the kind of player that Lewis was in his junior and senior seasons for the Buckeyes – Lewis earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in both seasons – he’ll surely see no shortage of playing time.
In addition to a spot in the two-deep as a defensive end in the base defense, Friday also offers the size and strength to also kick inside and play defensive tackle as a situational pass-rusher. At 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, he could offer significant value in that role if the Buckeyes go back to using a “Rushmen” package.
Despite an unconventional offseason in which the Buckeyes have had just one week of actual football practices so far, Friday looked to be in as good of shape as he’s ever been in a photo posted by the Ohio State football team’s official Twitter account on Saturday.
Working to get better, one day at a time.#GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/ygECB6YM6A
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) July 18, 2020
Friday doesn’t necessarily project to be a superstar like Young was, but with DaVon Hamilton, Jashon Cornell and Robert Landers also gone from last season, the Buckeyes need some role players on the defensive line to step up and become more impactful playmakers, and Friday is one of the players Johnson – who said he believes Friday, along with Smith and Jean-Baptiste, “all have a chance to be really special players” – will be most counting on to do that.
Beyond 2020
Friday has the physical tools to be a future NFL defensive lineman – whether that be as an end or as a tackle, where Lewis has moved to with the Indianapolis Colts – but unless he has a tremendous breakout season as a junior, it would be a surprise to see him enter the 2021 NFL draft.
It’s more likely, especially with the increasing likelihood that a full college football season won’t be played in 2020, that Friday will need both of his remaining years of collegiate eligibility to maximize his NFL draft stock. But it wouldn’t be any surprise to see Friday become the next in a long line of defensive linemen coached by Johnson to emerge as a key player for the Buckeyes in the second half of his career and position himself as a potential middle-round draft choice in 2022.
Tyler Friday is expected to see regular playing time in Ohio State's defensive line rotation for both of the next two seasons.
Already one of the more experienced veterans on Ohio State’s defensive line, Friday will certainly be counted on to play a leadership role for the Buckeyes if he sticks around for his senior year.
Because Cooper is the only senior among Ohio State’s current defensive ends, there’s no guarantee that Friday will be in line to be a consistent starter even if he stays for 2021. But he can count on seeing a significant share of playing time in the defensive line rotation for the next two years as long as he continues to develop the way Johnson, and the Buckeyes expect him to.
