2026 tOSU Defense Discussion

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I mean none of that is outlandish to say so it’s low hanging fruit imo.

I’m going TJ Alford and Zion Grady

 

[ScriptOhio]

Ohio State Spring Recap: Beau Atkinson’s Improvement, Qua Russaw’s Strong Start Elevate Defensive End Competition Opposite Kenyatta Jackson Jr.

Kenyatta Jackson Jr. was dominant while Beau Atkinson and Qua Russaw also had impressive springs as Ohio State looks for new pass rushers to emerge at defensive end.

www.elevenwarriors.com

Ohio State Spring Recap: Beau Atkinson’s Improvement, Qua Russaw’s Strong Start Elevate Defensive End Competition Opposite Kenyatta Jackson Jr.​

Spring Standouts

Kenyatta Jackson Jr.​

Jackson was Ohio State’s most consistently dominant player in the trenches throughout the spring. The only returning starter on Ohio State’s defensive line, Jackson regularly won one-on-one matchups off the edge during the spring game and other practices open to the media, especially when going up against the likes of Carter Lowe and other backup offensive tackles after Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels underwent surgeries that sidelined them for the second half of spring.

Going into last season, multiple Ohio State players said Jackson was looking like a future first-round NFL draft pick in offseason workouts. He didn’t quite play up to that level, especially early in the season, which Jackson said this spring was partially due to injuries. But after a strong second half of last season, Jackson looked this spring like a player who’s capable of living up to those lofty expectations and emerging as an elite defensive end as a fifth-year senior in 2026.

Beau Atkinson​

Atkinson started the spring as a bit of an afterthought in the competition to be Ohio State’s other starting defensive end. He had a disappointing first year as a Buckeye last season, recording just 11 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack after transferring in from North Carolina.

This spring, however, Atkinson looked like the player Ohio State thought it was getting a year ago. Being able to go through winter workouts at Ohio State went a long way for the fifth-year senior, who was a summer enrollee in 2025 after transferring to Ohio State in the now-defunct spring portal window, and he showed plenty of pass-rush acumen, quickness and power during March and April practices, giving him a real chance to be OSU’s No. 2 defensive end – even if Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson still wants to see him prove it in game action this fall.

“I think he's done a 360 so far, but we haven't played a game yet,” Johnson said this spring. “I think I like where he's at. He's much better, he's more flexible right now, where we'd like him to be. And again, he's a transition guy coming from the University of North Carolina and trying to play this way, and how do we do it, it's different. It really is, and I think he embraced it. Never had a dull moment, never fought away from it, not even shied away from what we're doing. Now, it's his moment, his time.”

Qua Russaw​

This year’s transfer addition at defensive end also had an impressive spring. Russaw, a fourth-year Alabama transplant, drew praise throughout the spring from the likes of Johnson and Jackson for the power, explosiveness and versatility he demonstrated in practice.

“I think he's very physically strong,” Johnson said. “He’s strong at the point of attack with his hands and body, which is amazing, a guy 245 can set the edge the way he does. And he brings great speed to the table. So he can do a lot of things for us. He can play end, he can play what we call the ‘Buck’ position, do some things out of there. But I think the thing that jumps off the videotape is how hard he plays, and he really has physical strength.”

At only 6-foot-2, Russaw is smaller than the typical defensive end, and he played primarily as a standup outside linebacker at Alabama. But his performance this spring showed he is capable of being impactful as both a pass rusher and run stopper as a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end. Preseason might bring more clarity on how exactly Ohio State will use him, as he could also be used as a hybrid linebacker, but he appears more likely than not to see regular playing time for the Buckeyes this fall based on how he performed in his first 15 practices as a Buckeye.

Projected Depth Chart​

Defensive End​

1. Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
2. Zion Grady
3. Khary Wilder
4. Darryus McKinley

Defensive End​

1. Beau Atkinson
2. Qua Russaw
3. Epi Sitanilei
4. Dre Quinn

Post-Spring Outlook​

Ohio State’s outlook at defensive end starts with Jackson realizing his full potential in his final season as a Buckeye and becoming a consistently disruptive force off the edge. Based on what we saw from Jackson this spring, that looks like a standard he’s ready to meet.

Beyond Jackson, Ohio State doesn’t have any sure-fire stars at the position. But Atkinson and Russaw did what they needed to do this spring to generate belief that they can lead Ohio State’s defensive end unit alongside Jackson as upperclassmen, while Grady is another potential breakout star on the edge and Sitanilei and Wilder shouldn’t be overlooked as possible young contributors at the position.

Ohio State shouldn’t be bad at defensive end this season, but there’s a lot that needs to come together for the Buckeyes to be elite on the edge. Where they ultimately fall on the spectrum between good and great and whether they can give Ohio State an effective outside pass-rush will go a long way toward determining whether the Buckeyes have one of the nation’s top defenses once again.

 

[ScriptOhio]

CBS Sports clearly overlooks the Ohio State football team's defense in a major snub

The Ohio State Buckeyes' defense doesn't have a single player in CBS Sports' top-26 most-feared rankings.

scarletandgame.com

CBS Sports clearly overlooks the Ohio State football team's defense in a major snub​

The Ohio State Buckeyes' defensive turnover has many questioning the team's place in the College Football hierarchy ahead of the 2026 season. CBS Sports' Brad Crawford seems to think they won't be answered by anyone who will establish themselves as one of the most feared players in the country.

In a top 26 list, not a single Buckeye showed up. The worst part? Several players from a number of Ohio State's opponents this fall made the list, including the Texas Longhorns (EDGE Collin Simmons, LB Rasheem Biles), the Oregon Ducks (NT A'Mauri Washington, CB Brandon Finney Jr., S Koi Perich, LB Teitum Tuioti), TTUN (EDGE John Henry Daley), and the Indiana Hoosiers (DT Tyrique Tucker).

Luckily, there are also legitimate playmakers who could step up and prove they always deserved to be in this preseason discussion. Here's just a few...

Kenyatta Jackson Jr., EDGE
The rest of the defensive front holding up will boost Kenyatta Jackson Jr., who has all the talent in the world but hasn't fully shown what he's capable of. Should Eddrick Houston and the rest of the interior defensive linemen plug holes in opponents' run games, Jackson should have ample opportunities to wreak havoc in opposing backfields.

Jackson is aiming to improve himself against the run, but the most important thing for Jackson is to increase an already impressive 6.5 sack total. He is the most Buckeye to get Crawford to eat crow with a total Scarlet and Gray exclusion, with Matt Patricia likely to do the most to maximize his abilities.

Jaylen McClain, safety
Jaylen McClain is already getting some early All-Big Ten predictions, and with good reason. Ohio State's safety room was hands down the best last season. And you have to hand it to Downs for that.

McClain is expected to be as versatile as Downs was, with a focus on the free safety position. He's also expected to be a vocal leader deep in the secondary, and he'll have opportunities to shine against the Longhorns' Arch Manning, the Ducks' Dante Moore, the Hoosiers' Josh Hoover, and the USC Trojans' Jayden Maiava.

Christian Alliegro, OLB/EDGE
Wisconsin Badgers transfer Christian Alliegro will be playing Reese's role in the defense this coming season. It's hard not to be excited about the idea of Patricia having one of the top pass-rushers in the country from the 2025 season at his disposal.

Alliegro is one of the most exciting transfers, though realistically, we could see former Alabama Crimson Tide EDGE Qua Russaw and DT James Smith enter this conversation by next January as well.