As fans who frequent this site and others focused on Ohio State athletics, we're all absolute junkies for any morsel of information about how spring practice is going for Buckeye football as the program looks to bounce back from another season of falling to Michigan and coming up short in its quest for a national title.
We refresh Twitter like fiends on open practice and scrimmage days, read and re-read quotes from coaches and players, consume every feature article on players and position groups, and watch every Ryan Day presser trying to draw conclusions from what he says and what he doesn't say in hopes of piecing together how things are going.
Sometimes we forget that spring is a time for optimism which can make it hard to get a true flavor for where the concerns reside or if a coach's glass is just a little too full in that moment.
And while the quarterback competition between Kyle McCord and Devin Brown is the biggest storyline of this spring camp - not just for which guy appears to be No. 1 but how he's actually performing - whether or not Ohio State's defense has the right talent and how well the puzzle pieces fit together will be every bit as impactful to the outcome of the 2023 season.
Ohio State's 2022 defense led by new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles realized statistical improvement compared to the 2021 outfit but still fell outside the top-20 in scoring defense, passing defense and rushing defense after giving up 1,033 total yards and 87 points during back-to-back losses to Michigan and Georgia to close the season.
Now the hope is the Buckeyes will be better in Year Two in Knowles' system and a host of guys vying to play major roles come through. This spring, the tenor has been positive across virtually every player and position group but when it comes to put up or shut up time this fall, all we can do is wait and see.
SECONDARY
Ohio State ranked 85th last year giving up 20 pass plays of 30+ yards and No. 111 nationally surrendering 13 pass plays of at least 40 yards. The gashes factored into the Buckeyes slotting No. 66 in yards per attempt allowed but they did finish No. 26 in total passing yards per game allowed at 200.5.
While the pass defense struggled it would be unfair to put it all on the secondary. The pass rush was non-existent at times and I wouldn't argue with fans questioning the timing and frequency with very aggressive coverage schemes.
That said, guys do need to step up so who are you buying into?
Denzel Burke is reported to be having a very strong spring after he started very slowly last year before coming on late. To me, he's still the best cover man on the team and it's probably not close.
Ole Miss transfer Davison Igbinosun is said to be competing hard for the starting job opposite Burke after being brought in to challenge primarily Jordan Hancock for that spot. Different members of the defensive staff have talked about Igbinosun looking fantastic, getting his hands on lots of balls and bringing a swagger and work ethic you want from a corner.
At the safety spots, I was admittedly surprised to see Josh Proctor starting at free safety though if the reports of him becoming "extremely serious" about his business are legit, he's always appeared to have the size and big play potential. I just can't be bullish on these reports until he gives Ohio State consistent play.
Lathan Ransom is saying all the right things about last season leaving a bad taste in his mouth as he was on the field a lot during those big play issues down the stretch. Currently running with the ones at strong safety, his comments about "being the most consistent safety" in the country should indeed be the focus because he's also flashed big play ability.
What does the presence of Proctor alongside Ransom mean for transfer Ja'Had Carter and second-year man Sonny Styles? Carter's been logging reps at multiple safety spots though I frankly expected he'd be in front of Proctor and that was before Carter left yesterday's scrimmage due to injury.
As for Styles, I can't help but think he has the highest ceiling of all the safeties mentioned thus far but I found it interesting safeties coach Perry Eliano hinted at a more "streamlined" role for him this year, asking the Pickerington product to be great at a few things instead of okay at a lot of things. Am I reading too much into those comments by thinking Styles could be more of a situational player than a rotational co-starter type, with Ransom, Carter and Proctor all logging more snaps this fall? Honestly, I hope that's not the case.
DEFENSIVE LINE
The lead linebackers appear to be a strength of the defense with Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers back, among others, so we'll move to the trenches.
After posting the second-fewest hurries per game and third-fewest sacks per game during Larry Johnson's nine-year run at Ohio State, the defensive line needs to step up and do its part to help the pass defense and beyond.
Johnson lost a lot of rotational guys from last season's unit but optimism is overflowing this spring, particularly around the interior as Ty Hamilton, Mike Hall Jr. and Tyliek Williams return.
Hall's injured shoulder was clearly a factor in his high-ceiling, low-consistency 2022 so expecting big things provided he's healthy seems fair. For his part, Johnson has reiterated "the sky's the limit" for Hall. Meanwhile, my perception is Hamilton gets the least amount of public commentary from the staff despite his starting nose tackle status but within the WHAC, it seems they believe Ty is their best overall interior defensive lineman by a wide margin.
Williams also flashed a high-ceiling, low-consistency 2022 and Day has inferred at least once this spring that Tyliek has shown and improved motor.
On the outside, the word continues to be Jack Sawyer is in much better position to succeed as a defensive end after being removed from consideration at the fabled Jack position. Could the specialization allow him to blossom? He certainly seems to think so and Knowles admits while he thinks the experiment was worth it, Sawyer was brought to Columbus to rush the passer from a hand in the dirt edge rusher spot.
The surest bet on the edge is JT Tuimoloau but who steps up behind he and Sawyer? Johnson really needs Caden Curry, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and/or Mitchell Melton to fill the void. Like many of the other names mentioned across the defense thus far, those three aren't short on promise. That said, injuries or lack of opportunity and production leave them inarguably unproven.
Through spring camp thus far it sounds like this group is dominating but maybe that says more about the current state of the offensive line.
All of this brings us back to the original premise here which is whether or not you're buying into Ohio State's defensive taking another big step forward this fall and if so, which players are you expecting to seize the day?
I'm sure there's a guide somewhere that says asking 50 questions of the readers in an article isn't good writing but I'm genuinely curious to what the rabid fans think about the possibility of Ohio State once again having an elite defense. And I'm struggling to gauge my own thoughts about a group that seems high on praise and promise despite having so many question marks.
