The Buckeyes need depth in a vital position, but they will not settle for anyone. Ohio State takes pleasure in developing talent and sending it to the NFL.
Larry Johnson, the defensive line coach, is possibly the best assistant coach on the Buckeyes’ staff at doing so. He entered four of his defensive linemen into the 2025 NFL Draft, and all four were taken, including defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, who was drafted in the first round by the Detroit Lions.
There’s a next man up mindset at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Both Johnson and head coach Ryan Day preach this. But that doesn’t mean Ohio State shouldn’t make every effort to have the greatest and most complete roster possible.
Defensive tackle requires depth. The Buckeyes’ two long-time starters, Williams and Ty Hamilton, were picked. Kayden McDonald and Eddrick Houston are set to fill their slots. But the big question looms over the Buckeyes’ heads.
Who is behind them?
“We are [and] we have,” Day said when asked if Ohio State was aggressively seeking a defensive tackle through the transfer portal. “But we want to make sure [when] we bring someone in.
It needs to be an improvement above what we have. “We’re not going to do it for the sake of doing it. I believe we have looked and will continue to seek, but we will not hire someone solely for that purpose.”
To answer the question directly, the Buckeyes do have names behind their projected starters. Tywone Malone, Jason Moore, Will Smith Jr., Trajen Odom, Eric Mensah, and Jarquez Carter are all competing for playing time.
On paper, that equals eight names. Sounds like a lot, right? The issue is a lack of experience. Ohio State must replace a combined 54 starts by Hamilton and Williams. That is a lot of football.
The Buckeyes hosted a couple names and were finalists in the portal, but all elected to play elsewhere. Hero Kanu, a former defensive tackle, transferred to Texas after the national title.
Ohio State has a couple months to work things out before preseason camp begins in August. While there is time to figure things out, the question remains unanswered.
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