Buckeyes Land In Top 25 Of ESPN's Future Defensive Power Rankings

Until proven otherwise, Ohio State should remain a Big Ten contender even with changes coming to the conference. Could all that change with limited defensive help?

ESPN still considers the Buckeyes to have one of the better defenses in college football, but the numbers are trending downward entering 2023. In a recent article, ESPN listed Ohio State as the No. 21-ranked defensive unit in its future power rankings, noting that regression has set in on the recruiting side when landing premier prospects.

The unit has regressed for most of coach Ryan Day's tenure, although it showed clear improvement last season, especially on third down, before breakdowns in losses to Michigan and Georgia. For Day, a coach who has taken the quarterback position to historic heights in Columbus, the primary mission remains getting the defense back on track. Coordinator Jim Knowles enters his second season and will be working with enough high-level talent to clean things up in the next three years. All three levels of defense return key contributors. The line should become a major strength again, especially if ends J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer, both ESPN top-five recruits, consistently hit their potential. Sophomores Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson should provide production, especially in 2024. Hopes are high at the defensive tackle spot where veterans Ty Hamilton and Tyleik Williams return, as well as junior Mike Hall Jr., who logged 4.5 sacks last fall. - Adam Rittenberg

Tuimoloau could become the next great Buckeyes pass rusher to hear his name called on Day 1 of the NFL draft. Drawing comparisons to the Bosa brothers and Chase Young, Tuimoloau is still developing as one of the young up-and-comers at pressuring quarterbacks.

Last season, Tuimoloau recorded a career-best 3.5 sacks to go along with 28 total tackles. With another season in Knowles' system, he's expected to flourish off the edge as Zach Harrison's replacement.

The return of Sawyer and Hall should provide a building block for the front seven thank ranked 32nd nationally in sacks. Both defenders finished with a team-high 4.5 sacks and were influential in the run game. Curry, one of the top freshmen defensive prospects from the 2022 recruiting cycle, should also see and expanded number of reps in place of the departed Harrison.

Linebacker for 2023 should be a strength in Columbus. Tommy Eichenberg elected to return to "The Shoe" for another go-around after leading the program with 120 tackles. Steele Chambers, who finished second in tackles (77), is also headed back another year, while Cody Simon should fill the void when Knowles elects to run three-linebacker sets.

Simon is Eichenberg's replacement up the middle, so his role is to fill the void on certain downs. Last season, the sophomore racked up 32 tackles in a limited role and saw action on special teams. C.J. Hicks and Gabe Powers, two highly-touted freshmen, likely see an expanded role in 2024.

While nicknamed "DBU" after sending over a dozen defensive backs to the pros since 2015, the Buckeyes' secondary could be a weak point entering 2023. Denzel Burke and Lathan Ransom are back for another year, but the duo likely leaves following the 2023 campaign.

Ohio State will likely be banking on the additions of newcomers via the transfer portal to provide immediate value. Ja'Had Carter, a safety transfer from Syracuse who started three seasons and Davison Igbinosun, a cornerback from Ole Miss, likely contend for starting spots early.

The real question is where do the Buckeyes go after this season? Last recruiting cycle, Ohio State only added two four-star corners, Jermaine Matthews and Calvin Simpson-Hunt.

The secondary faces pressure this season but also has some familiar names -- senior safety Lathan Ransom and junior cornerback Denzel Burke -- as well as a key new one in safety Ja'Had Carter, a transfer from Syracuse who started three seasons. Junior Jordan Hancock, sophomore Jyaire Brown and Ole Miss transfer Davison Igbinosun are in the mix at cornerback, while Sonny Styles, ESPN's No. 15 overall recruit in 2022, should be a bigger contributor soon along with Cameron Martinez. - Rittenberg

The Buckeyes open the season at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington on Sept. 2 against Indiana.