It’s a narrative that’s been repeated since Ohio State’s 45-23 loss to Michigan on Nov. 26, 2022, the Buckeyes’ first home loss to their archrival in 22 years.
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles made strides in his first year in Columbus, with the scarlet and gray posting better numbers in the four significant defensive metrics – scoring defense, total defense, run defense and pass defense – than in 2021.
But those aggregate numbers were rendered moot when the Wolverines, then later Georgia in the College Football Playoff, gouged Ohio State’s ball stoppers for big plays to close the season with back-to-back Buckeye defeats.
A lot returns for the team from last year’s defense. The question pertains as to whether they can prevent elite teams from amassing 40 points-plus on the back of big plays this campaign. Here’s a look at the stars, the X-factors and the unknowns of this year’s group.
The Stars
Tommy Eichenberg
Eichenberg’s 120 tackles in 2022 were the most by an Ohio State player since Joshua Perry’s 124 in 2014. He’s littered preseason All-American lists after garnering second-team All-American honors from five organizations a season ago. The man in the middle at linebacker, Eichenberg’s toughness and ability to “see through the trees,” as Knowles puts it, will set the foundation for the Buckeyes’ defense.
JT Tuimoloau
This year for Tuimoloau will be about looking to replicate the production he had against Penn State last year when he posted one of the best individual defensive outings in program history. That day, he had six tackles with three tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery, two interceptions, a deflected pass that led to a third pick and a game-sealing touchdown. If he can become the superstar his five-star recruiting rating and breakout performance suggested, it’ll be trouble for opposing backfields.
Sonny Styles
Styles is the least proven of the three players in this section, but the buzz he’s generated from Knowles and company entering his sophomore season is palpable. He’ll start at nickel safety for the defense but be utilized for some strong-side linebacker-type responsibilities as well, leading Knowles to refer to him with a new position term, the “Strike.” His length, athleticism and physicality make him an exciting player to follow in 2023.
The X-Factors
Denzel Burke
Burke is searching for a bounce-back year after his breakout freshman campaign in 2021, which saw him break up 12 passes and intercept another. Last year, plagued by injuries, he went from allowing 5.375 yards per target in that first season to 8.513 in 2022, per PFF. He’ll be the team’s No. 1 corner entering 2023, so if he can prove to be a lockdown cover-man, the rest of the secondary will benefit.
Mike Hall Jr.
Hall looked like an emerging superstar when he was healthy in 2022. Despite all the action he missed, he tied for the team lead with 4.5 sacks. Known for recording 2.5 sacks in seven snaps against Michigan State (he had another taken away by an illegal hands-to-the-face penalty against Tuimoloau), a fully healthy Hall could make a night-and-day difference on the interior defensive line.
C.J. Hicks
It’s not clear yet exactly how much and where Hicks will be deployed in 2023, but his athleticism feels like too much to keep off the field, whether he plays at Jack or rotates in behind Eichenberg or Steele Chambers at the main linebacker spots. He has the tools to unleash havoc on offenses, though, if properly refined and utilized.
The Unknowns
Adjuster
When Syracuse transfer Ja’Had Carter moved from nickel to adjuster entering fall camp, it appeared he might take control of the starting job. As of Knowles’ press conference Monday, he had not. Some of that might have to do with a few injuries Carter sustained, but graduate Josh Proctor and freshman Malik Hartford remain in competition for the team’s field safety spot. One has to wonder what the quality of play will be at the position as the competition drags out.
How much the Jack will be used this year
Hicks is the leading candidate to play Knowles’ hybrid defensive end/linebacker role in 2023, with Mitchell Melton appearing as another option. With four true defensive ends Knowles said were “among the best in the country,” however, more traditional 4-2-5 or even 4-3 looks could be in order. It doesn’t help that Jack Sawyer saw some lackluster production in the spot in 2022, with just 24 tackles. That said, Hicks’ athleticism could paint the role in a new light.
What’s Knowles’ answer to big plays?
Above all else, the answer to this question may be more important than any to Ohio State fans when pondering this year’s defense. Five touchdown plays of more than 40 yards — with three that went at least 69 — killed the Buckeyes against Michigan, and Georgia consistently broke off long gains in the first, second and fourth quarters of that contest. Knowles has stated there’s been a long evaluation and re-thinking process this offseason to address core issues that led to such happenings. Still, the answer to whether his solutions pay dividends may not come until late in the season when Ohio State faces the elite offenses on its schedule.
Freshman to Watch
Malik Hartford
Hartford seems to be the only true freshman pushing for playing time on defense, carrying momentum over from the spring when he was among three first-year Buckeyes to shed their respective black stripes — the only one on his side of the ball. Even if he doesn’t ultimately play meaningful defensive snaps, the buzz Hartford has generated can only be a positive sign for his future.
Overall Outlook
Ohio State’s stack of talent from previous recruiting classes always seemed to align nicely with this season on the defensive side of the ball. A second year in a scheme as complex as Knowles’ should help everyone play faster, and overall, the team seems to have more depth at key positions.
The group could play elite defense all year and have it rendered moot by a few bad performances in its biggest games — as happened in 2022 — such are the expectations that come when a program wants to compete for national titles every year. A lot will be riding on the shoulders of Ohio State’s defenders come November and potentially beyond.
