Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Caden Curry are finally in position to be Ohio State’s starting defensive ends.
At this time two years ago, it appeared that Curry and Jackson could be just one year away from becoming Ohio State’s starters on the edge, as Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau were both viewed as candidates to leave for the NFL draft after three years. When Tuimoloau and Sawyer both returned for their senior seasons, however, Jackson and Curry were forced to wait their turn to be starters for one more year.
Now entering their fourth year at Ohio State, Curry and Jackson are finally getting their chance to lead the Buckeyes’ defensive line. And they’re both hungry to show what they can do in a starring role.
“I wanna show that we're still the best D-line in the nation,” Curry said Tuesday.
While this year is their first opportunity to become starters, Curry and Jackson have still seen plenty of significant playing time over the last three years. They’ve been Ohio State’s top backup defensive ends behind Sawyer and Tuimoloau for each of the past two seasons; dating back to their freshman year, Jackson has played 514 snaps while Curry has played 477, per Pro Football Focus. Both of them have flashed playmaking ability in limited action; Curry has recorded 45 tackles with 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks while Jackson has tallied 25 tackles with six tackles for loss and three sacks.
They haven’t yet had the opportunity to prove that they’re players Ohio State can rely on to lead its pass rush and run-stopping efforts while playing 40-plus snaps a game. But they’re working hard to prove that they can be those players.
“Me and KJ and C.J. (Hicks) are all trying to take that leadership role and just trying to kind of push the guys and push to be the best version of themselves every day,” said Curry, a senior in his final year of eligibility. “We're definitely trying to take that next step.”
Now that they are at the top of the depth chart at defensive end, both of them said this spring has felt different than past years.
“I'll say it totally feels different,” said Jackson, who still has two years of eligibility after redshirting as a true freshman. “It really didn't hit me until the first practice of spring, but you know, it feels good.”
Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson has challenged both of them to step up as leaders and is pleased with how they’ve responded to that challenge along with some of the Buckeyes’ other veteran defensive linemen so far.
“I think there’s about four or five guys really trying to take over that role. I think KJ's done a great job. And I think Caden Curry's there also. And I would say (defensive tackle Tywone Malone) is starting to come to the front,” Johnson said. “So, I think there really has got to be a group leadership thing to pull this together. And I kind of like what we're doing right now.”
As Johnson said, the burden of replacing Tuimoloau and Sawyer won’t fall solely upon the shoulders of Jackson and Curry. Converted linebacker C.J. Hicks and Idaho State transfer Logan George are also candidates to play major roles at defensive end. While Sawyer and Tuimoloau played a heavy majority of Ohio State’s defensive end snaps for the past two seasons, Ohio State could rotate more frequently at DE this year if George and Hicks prove they belong on the field regularly.
More Defensive Line Coverage
The starting spots, though, are Curry and Jackson’s to lose. And they’re pushing each other every day as they look to become Ohio State’s new stars on the edge.
“Me and him, kind of our mindset is winning every play,” Curry said of him and Jackson. “Every one-on-one we get, we're trying to win. And we're just trying to fight to be the best versions of ourselves every day. And me and him kind of really just took a whole heart in that and we're just pushing ourselves. We push each other every day.”
The importance of Jackson and Curry stepping up as leaders is amplified by the fact that Ohio State is also replacing its starting defensive tackles, Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton, from last season. Projected starting nose tackle Kayden McDonald is one year younger than Curry and Jackson while projected starting 3-technique Eddrick Houston is two years younger, so Ohio State is looking to Curry and Jackson to provide leadership for the entire defensive line.
They’ll look to emulate the leadership of Sawyer and Tuimoloau, who gave them a great blueprint for how to be both leaders and elite defensive ends as they helped lead Ohio State to a national championship last season.
“Jack and JT, they led by example but also vocally,” Curry said. “You don't really notice it until you get there. So I mean, definitely seeing all those things and just using it for myself and just talking to them every day if I need something, help from them, I mean, they’re still one call away.”
“Obviously we lost four good leaders and four good players, so I'm just trying to take pieces by pieces by pieces by pieces by them, just continue that tradition of who the Rushmen are,” Jackson said.
Sawyer and Tuimoloau have both expressed confidence that their successors on Ohio State’s defensive line will pick up where they left off.
“Eddrick, Kayden McDonald, Caden Curry, Kenyatta Jackson, I mean, those four guys right there are NFL players, too,” Sawyer said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “So I'm excited to see what they're going to do with their first year all as a group together playing. Sky's the limit for those guys, too. I know Coach Johnson's going to get those guys right. And I look forward to them all having a great season.”
Jackson and Curry certainly could have had opportunities to start elsewhere sooner had they chosen to enter the transfer portal rather than wait their turn, but both of them stayed the course because they believed in Johnson’s long-term plans for them.
“Honestly, it's because we love Coach J. We came here for the coach, and we knew he wasn't gonna leave us, and we put all of our faith and love into him and he put it right back into us,” Curry said when asked why he and Jackson stayed. “I definitely have no regrets. I love Coach J and I love being here and I just love the city of Columbus.”
Jackson admits he had some negative thoughts over the years as he waited his turn to play a bigger role, but said he learned to trust the process along the way.
“God has a path for everybody and he's paving my path right now, so I'm just letting him control and pave my path right now,” Jackson said. “I tend to overthink and want to control things myself, but that's not how God works. God has a plan for everybody and he's paving my path.”
Coming off of a national championship run in which Tuimoloau (23 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, two pass breakups in four CFP games) and Sawyer (13 tackles, 4.5 sacks, seven pass breakups and a 83-yard scoop-and-score in the CFP) were both dominant, Jackson and Curry know they have big shoes to fill. With three years of preparing for this moment under their belts, though, they feel ready to step up and lead Ohio State’s defensive line to another successful season.
“We lost a lot of good players and a lot of good leaders, man. But the guys that’s stepping up, we just got to step up,” Jackson said. “We just got to take on what the guys left for us.”
