How Caden Curry is quickly gaining ground on Buckeyes depth chart
There has been a buzz about Caden Curry for a while now, even before he came to Ohio State.
It started in Greenwood, Indiana, and it grew so loud that Buckeyes defensive line coach Larry Johnson was drawn to it. He was this sort of medium-sized defensive lineman making plays all over the field like he was a Chase Young wannabe or a Bosa brother — but with linebacker range.
The hum heightened during the week of preparation for the U.S. Army All-American game this past January, Curry by then already signed to the Ohio State class of 2022. He turned heads in San Antonio, putting on a clinic of how to beat blockers in pass-rush drills.
Then came his early enrollment and thus winter of conditioning and 15 days of spring drills with the Buckeyes. At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, he grew stronger, and so did the buzz. In the spring game, he looked the part of someone who can be in the playing depth this fall in new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ 4-2-5 defense, which has a hybrid position seemingly tailor-made for Curry’s talents.
And then there is his demeanor.
“He’s kind of surly, a little bit, a lot like Jack (Sawyer).” Knowles said, comparing Curry to the sophomore Sawyer, who is expected to rule the roost this season. “I mean, those guys seem to be surly, and I like that kind of personality.
“So yeah, he’s got a quick first step and he’s a little surly. That equals potential greatness.”
Understand, too, that Knowles handed out such praise sparingly this spring as he worked to restructure a defense that at some key times last year seemed to lack surliness and confidence in the scheme. But anyone can see that Curry is a bona-fide building block for the new-look wall.
“Caden plays with a high motor, he’s a really good football player,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “He plays a lot bigger than he [looks]. He’s really intelligent; quick twitch. I think he’s going to be a heck of a football player.”
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