Ohio State Buckeyes Clearly Understand Their Most Severe Problem

The Ohio State Buckeyes just won a national championship, so outside of yet another loss to Michigan, all was fine and dandy in Columbus last season.

However, Ohio State lost a massive chunk of its roster to the NFL Draft and while it is obviously replacing many of its departed players with impressive recruits, the Buckeyes do have one rather glaring hole heading into 2025: defensive tackle.

Ohio State saw both of its starting interior defensive linemen — Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton — selected in the draft back in April, leaving a rather significant gap up the middle.

Kayden McDonald and Eddrick Houston are set to hold down the fort — or at least attempt to — at the position next season, and even head coach Ryan Day said earlier this offseason that defensive tackle was a pretty clear weakness for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State was unable to bag anyone via the transfer portal, forcing Day and Co. to punt to the future. But there is some good news on that front, as the Buckeyes just snatched a pair of defensive tackle recruits over the last couple of days in Damari Simeon and Cameron Brickle.

Defensive line coach Larry Johnson has actually found himself in the crosshairs recently as a result of some rather shaky recruiting down in the trenches over the last couple of years, and while neither Simeon nor Brickle are five-star prospects, it's definitely a start for Ohio State. Plus, the Buckeyes' aggressiveness in pursuing both defensive tackles is proof they understand the assignment.

Ohio State is frequently near the top of the country in defense. Actually, Day's defense was the top-ranked unit across the nation in 2024. So you would think that the Buckeyes' little slump on the interior won't last very long.

One thing is for sure, though: Ohio State runs a phenomenal program, so everyone should probably trust the Buckeyes' process moving forward. Especially given that they clearly understand their current shortcomings.

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