Stephen Leonard
Ohio State Writer
After spring practices in March and April, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was upfront with the depth of the defensive line and his concern. He was asked to name his biggest concern in a press conference early before spring practices had began.
“D-Line is probably the biggest concern. That will be a focus. I think we’ve got to take a harder look at it.”
Ryan Day
Was the depth that bad, or was this a page out of former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer’s motivational handbook? Could it be that Day called out the DL position group in public to see who is ready to grind heading into summer workouts, knowing they needed to earn that chance to, as Day says, “carry the water.” Meyer has a degree in psychology, and he has mastered motivational strategies. It would not be a bad play if Day leaned on one of his mentors’ tactics, if indeed that was the case.
The DL starting unit was never of much concern until Eddrick Houston went down on the first day of training camp. With players like DT Kayden McDonald (K-Mac), DE Kenyatta Jackson, DT Eddrick Houston, DE Caden Curry, and the addition of DE Beau Atkinson, the starting unit was loaded but lacking experience. Jackson earned high praise from his coaches and peers at Big Ten Media Days, even earning the coveted Iron Buckeye offseason award, which all but guarantees Jackson a starting spot at DE. Jackson, 6’6” 265 pounds, is athletic, versatile, and only limited in experience by sitting behind now NFL DEs JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer. The opposite side will be a battle with DE Caden Curry and the addition of DE Beau Atkinson, via North Carolina, in the portal.
No doubt the Buckeyes’ starting front four will be uber talented, but the significantly limited repetition creates some anxiousness among the Buckeye faithful. Only experience will calm those nerves, but the showing out of training camp the past 3 days has been overwhelmingly positive. Still, we need to see their abilities as full-time starters when the live bullets are flying. The lone exception, Beau Atkinson, DE transfer who started last year at North Carolina before becoming a portal addition. Atkinson was a huge get out of the portal with his experience and production, racking up 35 tackles with 12 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks for North Carolina last season.
When media day rolled in, we got a glimpse that DL depth might not have been as bad as we speculated in the spring. Senior linebacker Sonny Styles mentioned Buckeye legacy Junior DT Will Smith Jr., as well as Senior DT Tywone Malone Jr., as players who could push for playing time as backups.
“Will Smith Jr. has taken a big jump this offseason.” “We’ve got a few other guys..like Tywone Malone. That’s another guy. He can be a baller.”
Sonny Styles
In today’s game, and more than ever before, quality rotation is a must with the expectation of a stretch run deep into the playoffs. The good news for Buckeye fans is that Day seemed to walk back the need for portal additions once spring ball concluded in April.
The tune definitely changed once media days in Las Vegas hit.
After the past three days at training camp, I can see why Day said there that the portal players would need to be an upgrade, because this defensive line is looking like a strength. DE Beau Atkinson was the real deal, and during 11 on 11, DE CJ Hicks and DE Caden Curry both provided quick penetration, causing the offensive tackles fits. DT Kayden McDonald has slimmed down, providing a quicker step while still measuring 6’3″ 326 pounds, built to take on the double team and stuff runs. The biggest story of camp was sophomore defensive tackle Eddrick Houston going down. Vital to the DT position, once he hit the ground, he needed help off the field. Panic ensued, and we all breathed that sigh of relief when he was dressed and walking around the following day. As the injury occurred, I was standing on the other end of the field, missing it live. As the text messages came in asking for updates on the injury, I was just as shocked and gut-wrenched as a fan just hearing the news. On day three, Houston was lightly jogging and only minimally limping. In the long run, Houston’s injury provided the extra reps for the backups. As we heard before, DT Will Smith Jr. and DT Tywone Malone Jr. shined in his absence, but I saw great repetitions in offensive line vs defensive line drills and more impressive during 11 on 11 with junior DT Jason Moore. Sophomore DT Eric Mensah has his moments.
The decision not to add a transfer DT puts the pressure on the current group to deliver. I’d like to think Day knew what he had and used those comments in the spring to get the most out of the talented players he knew he had. Whether it was a coincidence or a motivational tactic, I will never know. I know this from what I saw, the DL with plenty of depth will be ready on 8/30/25 when Archie Manning and the Texas Longhorns come to town.
