Jalyn Holmes said as soon as Larry Johnson hinted at the idea of the junior defensive end being a part of Ohio State's fabled Rushmen third down package, it didn't take long for him to answer in the affirmative.
"He asked me how I feel about it and my answer was yes immediately because I just wanted to be a part of it," Holmes said. "If he asked me to play center, I'm going to play center, so it's whatever."
“It's crazy fast. It's ridiculous. We got Tracy in there too so that's four or five guys just getting after it.”– Tyquan Lewis on Ohio State's Rushmen Package
Holmes won't be playing center for the Buckeyes anytime soon — that is not why Urban Meyer and Co. brought him to Columbus from Virginia in 2014. But as a long and powerful athlete at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, Ohio State is ready to slot Holmes into Joey Bosa's place on its third down defensive line. He is slated to join starting ends Sam Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis, in addition to former defensive ends Tracy Sprinkle and Dre'Mont Jones.
The plan is to unleash speed, speed and more speed to on what Holmes calls the "money down" to get after the quarterback.
"We get to third down the offense is trying to keep moving," Holmes said. "I feel like we can all come together in that Rushmen package, not just the Rushmen package but even base defense. We could be the best in the country."
That remains to be seen but at least on paper the defensive line has the potential to be extremely quick.
"It's crazy fast. It's ridiculous," Lewis said of the new Rushmen look. "We got Tracy in there too so that's four or five guys just getting after it."
The Buckeyes unveiled the package in the middle of last season, shifting Bosa inside next to Lewis and Washington while bringing Hubbard in from the sideline. All of those guys had playing experience at defensive end — Washington switched to tackle after getting to Ohio State, just like Sprinkle and Jones.
Bosa wreaked havoc on the interior, namely against Penn State's porous offensive line last season. One of the best players in the country, the two-time All-American and two-time Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year dominated regardless where he lined up.
He left big shoes behind that need filling on Ohio State's defensive front four, but Johnson likes what Holmes brings to the table in the third down package.
"Jalyn can pop inside and do the same thing," Johnson said. "So we're working a combination on who is going to do that. I'd like to have that, no question."
Johnson thinks the Buckeyes can utilize as many as 12 players on the defensive line this season, a mind-boggling number considering seven of them are either redshirt or true freshmen. It's all about keeping bodies fresher later in the season as long as they can stay healthy. Johnson also considers Holmes a starter at defensive end, there just isn't room for him atop the depth chart at the position with Lewis and Hubbard's presence. Kind of like how it was last year with Bosa in place for Hubbard.
Lewis and Holmes rush the passer against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
"He's really had a great fall. We've got a package for him that he can go in and be a starting end," Johnson said. "We're going to rotate those guys anyways. It really doesn't matter who starts the game, it's who finishes the game. Jalyn's got himself in a great position to really come on and help us this fall."
Holmes' career numbers (22 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack) are a far cry from Bosa's production in 2014 and 2015. It isn't fair to compare them due to a lack of playing time for Holmes, but he cannot wait for the opportunity to try and replicate what Bosa did with the Rushmen unit.
"I was actually happy though because it's something new, it's a new challenge and I just embraced the role," Holmes said. "Just bring the outside to the inside.
"I enjoyed it because it's a new challenge and guys like Tracy Sprinkle who played inside every play has been helping me watching old film of Adolphus Washington and even Joey playing in it. It's helped me a lot and actually made me grow as a player."
