What the return of Kenyatta Jackson means for Ohio State's defense

Senior defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. announced Thursday on Instagram that he will be returning to Ohio State for his fifth season as a Buckeye

Jackson will be surrounded by new talent, as he is the only starter retained from the 2025 defensive line.

Appearing to have changed his jersey number from No. 97 to No. 2, Jackson’s role on the team has also changed. Now, as one of the bona fide leaders of the defense, the Buckeye defensive end will become the top player on the defensive line. With the amount of competition the defensive line will see in the 2026 offseason, Jackson’s final year as a Buckeye will be his first in which he will take center stage and have a chance to elevate to an entirely new level.

It's official: Kenyatta Jackson is coming back, and it looks like he'll be wearing No. 2 pic.twitter.com/QKBCijGcFX
— Stefan Krajisnik (@skrajisnik3) January 15, 2026

With defensive tackle Kayden McDonald declaring for the NFL draft, as well as defensive end Caden Curry and defensive tackle Tywone Malone Jr. running out of eligibility, there are many holes to fill around Jackson.

As it stands according to the Buckeyes’ depth chart per Ourlads, junior Eddrick Houston will be replacing Malone, junior Will Smith Jr. will be taking the spot McDonald held and senior Beau Atkinson will be replacing Curry. However, it is expected that sophomore Zion Grady will be competing against, and will likely surpass, Atkinson on the depth chart.

What the current depth chart does not take into consideration is the lot of 15 incoming transfers for Ohio State.

Two notable transfers for the Buckeyes both come from Alabama, defensive lineman James Smith and edge rusher Qua Russaw. The two were prominent members of the Crimson Tide’s defensive line.

Smith’s near-300-pound frame will provide more size to Ohio State’s interior line, where he could perform both at nose guard and defensive tackle. Russaw also shows versatility and will give defensive coordinator Matt Patricia the chance to move him around the field for different defensive plays.

Smith will provide heavy competition to both Will Smith Jr. and Houston for a starting position on the interior D-line, and Russaw will likely do the same against Grady to play across the line from Jackson at defensive end.

The only player who will not have to vie for a starting role is Jackson.

For the first time in his career, the fifth-year senior will be the headlining player on Ohio State’s defensive line.

Seeing limited snaps his first season with Ohio State, Jackson began to carve a role for himself on the line in 2023 and 2024 as a rotational option for star defensive end duo Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau.

During the 2025 season, Jackson earned the starting defensive end position opposite of Curry. While the returning senior had a good season, totaling 28 tackles and 6.5 sacks, Curry was the standout star, leading the team with 11 sacks, as well as tacking on 66 total tackles.

With Curry entering the 2026 NFL draft as a likely late-round pick, the door is now open for Jackson to be the defensive line’s leader.

Jackson could take the route that Curry did during his breakout season. Just like the fifth-year defensive end, Curry also sat behind Sawyer and Tuimoloau until the two were drafted in 2025. Curry had a decent start to his season before bursting onto the scene during the Buckeyes’ 24-6 win over the Washington Huskies in Week 4, where he had a career game, totaling 11 tackles and three sacks.

The returning defensive end could follow a similar formula to Curry and break out early in the 2026 season.

Ohio State’s first three opponents are the Ball State, Texas and Kent State. Not only do the Golden Flashes and Cardinals provide easy pickings for Jackson and the entire defensive line, but a road game in Austin against the Longhorns is a premier opportunity for the fifth-year senior to make a statement.

As the supporting cast around Jackson begins to solidify, his bet on himself to return as a Buckeye looks to already be paying off.

The senior defensive end had been projected to be a second-round pick. Now with him returning as the leader of the defensive line, Jackson has the chance to boost himself into the realm of first-round talent by the time the 2027 NFL draft rolls around.