Ohio State is Quietly Developing a Glaring Recruiting Problem

Remember when the Ohio State Buckeyes were being harshly criticized for their inability to land top offensive line recruits? Well, now, things have flipped a bit.

Ohio State has suddenly been blazing the recruiting trail when it comes to offensive linemen, so it seems safe to say the Buckeyes have solved that problem. However, they have now developed an issue in another area: defensive line.

Did you know that Ohio State has not landed a five-star defensive recruit since 2021? As a result, defensive line coach Larry Johnson has come under some fire of late, especially considering the Buckeyes' rough defensive tackle situation heading into 2025.

It's not just defensive tackle, either, even if that's Ohio State's most glaring hole. The Buckeyes simply don't have a ton of talent in the defensive trenches in general.

"There's a reason why the Ohio State Buckeyes had to go to the transfer portal to get Beau Atkinson," wrote Ryan Stano of Scarlet & Game. "They don't have enough guys who can rush the passer at a high level. Johnson still has some big fish on the board, and he needs to get a win in a big way."

Stano feels that Ohio State fans should absolutely be concerned about Johnson, who is now 73 years old and may not be as stout of a recruiter as he once was.

The Buckeyes have prided themselves on building strong defensive fronts, and we definitely saw that last season with names like JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer and Tyleik Williams dominating opponents. But Ohio State has taken a massive step back in that area going into next season, and there does not seem to be any definitive future relief in sight.

The Buckeyes must started working harder to land the genuinely elite defensive line recruits in order to maintain their status as a top-flight defensive ballclub, and that puts a whole lot of pressure on Johnson to make something happen.

Read More Ohio State Buckeyes News Here