Ohio State Star Drops Telling Statement on Buckeyes' Glaring Concern

This Ohio State Buckeyes star has delivered a rather significant claim on one of the team's most pressing concerns heading into the new college football season.

Ohio State Buckeyes safety Sonny Styles (6) celebrates a defensive stop during the first half of the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game against the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 10, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes boasted the best defense in college football last season, riding the unit to a national championship victory. But while Ohio State is projected to have a terrific defense again in 2025, the Buckeyes have lost so many players to the NFL Draft that serious questions have emerged.

More specifically, Ohio State has a rather gaping hole at defensive tackle after losing both Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton. Currently, Kayden McDondald and Eddrick Houston are slated to be the Buckeyes' two starters at the position, as Ohio State was unable to find a fix in the transfer portal.

That being said, linebacker Sonny Styles feels pretty good about where the team stands when it comes to its interior defensive line.

“I have ultimate confidence in them being everything we need them to be this year,” Styles told reporters. “I think they're going to exceed expectations. I know they have a chip on their shoulder in the defensive line room, they have something to prove. We lost four starters, and I know people are probably looking at the D-line with a question mark, but everyone in the building, we have ultimate confidence in those guys.”

Ryan Day himself even said that he did not think any of the defensive tackles available via the portal were better than what Ohio State already had, so maybe we are all underrating the Buckeyes in this particular area?

It's not just defensive tackle, either. The Buckeyes also lost defensive ends JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer, so there will be a lot of holes for Ohio State to fill this coming season.

Generally, the Buckeyes always bounce back, so perhaps everything will be just fine in Columbus heading into 2025.

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