Josh Dooley
Guest
You’re Nuts: Making one change to Ohio State’s defensive depth chart
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With this week’s theme of ‘If I Was in Charge’ at LGHL, we are taking aim at the defensive line.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about what we would do if we were in charge of our favorite position group, team, conference, or sport. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”If I Was in Charge” articles here.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
As the Gregorian calendar nears June and summer approaches, the sports calendar once again becomes less and less crowded — or busy, whichever adjective you prefer. And that is why I think the decision makers here at LGHL gave us this week’s content theme: If I Was in Charge.
It is a theme that appeals directly to the staff’s ego(s) and self-centeredness. Meaning we will or should be fully invested, despite the lack of action. And before all the college baseball, WNBA, MLS, etc. fans come after me for saying “lack of action”, I should point out that I am a Cincinnati Reds fan. Which should explain – and possibly even justify – my indifference to the current sports calendar. I mean, I couldn’t even enjoy the NBA playoffs or golf yesterday because the Reds have already ruined my summer.
(Editors Note: Same — Mets fan).
Anyway, I say all that to say this: One way to get over the summer sports blues is to start looking ahead to Ohio State football. Sure, spring practice is over and there’s not a ton going on inside The Woody, but Aug. 31 will be here before we know it.
With that in mind, Gene and I decided to have a little fun with this installment of You’re Nuts. Using If I Was in Charge as inspiration, we decided to take a look at – and make one change to – the Buckeyes’ presumed 2024 depth chart/lineup. So if we were in charge, who would be riding pine? And who would be elevated to a starting or possibly even starring role? Let’s get nuts!
Full disclosure, I definitely did get a little nuts here. But I truly believe that this change could and would work. And I believe that it could/would make OSU’s defense even better, as crazy as it sounds... Without further ado, if I was in charge, I would start Kenyatta Jackson Jr. at defensive end and move J.T. Tuimoloau inside to defensive tackle.
This might be perceived as a shot at Tuimoloau, but it’s really not. It’s about maximizing Ohio State’s defensive potential and getting after the opposing quarterback, which is something the Buckeyes have failed to do consistently since Chase Young was in Columbus.
Simply put, Tuimoloau is not super effective or super consistent as a traditional edge rusher. He has 10 sacks in three seasons. And I get that he is not always asked to rush the passer, but 10 in 3 just ain’t it. Jack Sawyer has had fewer opportunities than Tuimoloau – to do the exact same thing(s) – and been far more productive.
In my opinion, Tuimoloau is much better suited to play DE in a 3-4 alignment. But OSU doesn’t play a 3-4, so they need to find a spot where he can be disruptive on a consistent basis as opposed to a handful of times per game. And I really think DT could be that spot. Because Tuimoloau is only about 15-20 (maybe 10?) pounds lighter than Michael Hall Jr. but could easily get up to 280-285 and maintain most or all of his athleticism. Then we’d be looking at a guy who is taller and likely faster than Hall Jr., with a DE mentality/skillset. Sounds dangerous to me.
If Tuimoloau moves inside, Ohio State could then put a more traditional edge rusher-type on the field. And to me, that is clearly the mold in which Jackson Jr. fits. OSU lists him at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, nearly identical to Young. He (Jackson Jr.) racked up 17 sacks as a high school senior, has flashed brilliance in spring games and whatnot, and now just needs an opportunity to play.
A rushmen package of Jackson Jr., Tuimoloau, Sawyer, and Tyleik Williams sounds downright scary. I believe that it would elevate the Buckeyes’ pass rush to levels we haven’t seen in Columbus in a long, long time.
So if I was in charge, that is the lineup change I would make... Which I guess is two moves, with Ty Hamilton heading to the bench. But you get my point. Just make Ohio State’s pass rush great again.
Funny enough, when Josh and I decided to take a look at the depth chart for this version of You’re Nuts in the theme of ‘If I Was in Charge,’ we didn’t discuss which part of the team we were going to make adjustments to. There are no shortage of discussions to be had on offense — alignment of the offensive line, who are the top three wide receivers, who should really start at QB, etc. But instead, both of us wound up on defense.
Specifically, we both are making changes along the defensive line. It does make sense, given that Ohio State’s defensive front has not gotten the job done each of the last several years, which in turn has left the Buckeyes short of their goals. Larry Johnson’s group has failed to get to the quarterback with any regularity, especially in the games that matter most. That being said, Josh and I are both going about our changes very differently.
Instead of shifting guys around and starting different players at different positions, I am choosing to alter the base defense to better fit Ohio State’s current personnel. We’ve heard rumors of the Jack position under Jim Knowles, but the Buckeyes are yet to feature it prominently. That is why if I was in charge, I would force LJ to move to a three-down front with a ‘Jack’, with Sawyer, Williams and Tuimoloau as your hand-in-the-dirt linemen and a rotating duo of C.J. Hicks and Arvell Reese as your edge/linebacker hybrid.
Both Hicks and Reese are facing somewhat of an uphill battle for playing time, especially now that Sonny Styles has made the move to full-time linebacker. In a system that starts just two linebackers full time, those spots are likely to be filled by Styles and Cody Simon the majority of the time. However, both Hicks and Reese are far too talent to not see the field in a significant role for the Buckeyes in 2024, and I think having both of them up near the line of scrimmage could be a difference maker on what should be one of the nation’s best defensive units across the board.
Hicks, the elder statesman of the two heading into his junior season, was a five-star prospect and the No. 7 player overall in the 2022 recruiting class. Reese, meanwhile, was the No. 5 player in Ohio in 2023, now in his sophomore season in Columbus. Both were recruited to Ohio State as linebackers, but both have shown to be adept at rushing the passer in their high school careers. As the Jack, they would also have the option of dropping into coverage playing like a true linebacker, but with the added bonus of being an extra pass-rusher on the field on certain downs alongside the three-down linemen.
Ohio State had a good defense last season, but it was limited but its lack of ability to rush the quarterback. The Buckeyes finished 10th in the Big Ten with 28 sacks as a team — nowhere near good enough by program standards. We expect the secondary to return to Silver Bullets status, led by guys like Caleb Downs, Lathan Ransom, Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock and others, but the back end of the defense needs to be helped out by a front end that doesn’t give opposing QBs all day to find an open man.
The Jack position has a chance to be a true game changer for Ohio State, and Hicks and Reese are two perfect candidates to fill that role.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With this week’s theme of ‘If I Was in Charge’ at LGHL, we are taking aim at the defensive line.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about what we would do if we were in charge of our favorite position group, team, conference, or sport. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”If I Was in Charge” articles here.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
This week’s topic: Making one change to Ohio State’s depth chart.
Josh’s Take
As the Gregorian calendar nears June and summer approaches, the sports calendar once again becomes less and less crowded — or busy, whichever adjective you prefer. And that is why I think the decision makers here at LGHL gave us this week’s content theme: If I Was in Charge.
It is a theme that appeals directly to the staff’s ego(s) and self-centeredness. Meaning we will or should be fully invested, despite the lack of action. And before all the college baseball, WNBA, MLS, etc. fans come after me for saying “lack of action”, I should point out that I am a Cincinnati Reds fan. Which should explain – and possibly even justify – my indifference to the current sports calendar. I mean, I couldn’t even enjoy the NBA playoffs or golf yesterday because the Reds have already ruined my summer.
(Editors Note: Same — Mets fan).
Anyway, I say all that to say this: One way to get over the summer sports blues is to start looking ahead to Ohio State football. Sure, spring practice is over and there’s not a ton going on inside The Woody, but Aug. 31 will be here before we know it.
With that in mind, Gene and I decided to have a little fun with this installment of You’re Nuts. Using If I Was in Charge as inspiration, we decided to take a look at – and make one change to – the Buckeyes’ presumed 2024 depth chart/lineup. So if we were in charge, who would be riding pine? And who would be elevated to a starting or possibly even starring role? Let’s get nuts!
Full disclosure, I definitely did get a little nuts here. But I truly believe that this change could and would work. And I believe that it could/would make OSU’s defense even better, as crazy as it sounds... Without further ado, if I was in charge, I would start Kenyatta Jackson Jr. at defensive end and move J.T. Tuimoloau inside to defensive tackle.
This might be perceived as a shot at Tuimoloau, but it’s really not. It’s about maximizing Ohio State’s defensive potential and getting after the opposing quarterback, which is something the Buckeyes have failed to do consistently since Chase Young was in Columbus.
Simply put, Tuimoloau is not super effective or super consistent as a traditional edge rusher. He has 10 sacks in three seasons. And I get that he is not always asked to rush the passer, but 10 in 3 just ain’t it. Jack Sawyer has had fewer opportunities than Tuimoloau – to do the exact same thing(s) – and been far more productive.
In my opinion, Tuimoloau is much better suited to play DE in a 3-4 alignment. But OSU doesn’t play a 3-4, so they need to find a spot where he can be disruptive on a consistent basis as opposed to a handful of times per game. And I really think DT could be that spot. Because Tuimoloau is only about 15-20 (maybe 10?) pounds lighter than Michael Hall Jr. but could easily get up to 280-285 and maintain most or all of his athleticism. Then we’d be looking at a guy who is taller and likely faster than Hall Jr., with a DE mentality/skillset. Sounds dangerous to me.
If Tuimoloau moves inside, Ohio State could then put a more traditional edge rusher-type on the field. And to me, that is clearly the mold in which Jackson Jr. fits. OSU lists him at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, nearly identical to Young. He (Jackson Jr.) racked up 17 sacks as a high school senior, has flashed brilliance in spring games and whatnot, and now just needs an opportunity to play.
A rushmen package of Jackson Jr., Tuimoloau, Sawyer, and Tyleik Williams sounds downright scary. I believe that it would elevate the Buckeyes’ pass rush to levels we haven’t seen in Columbus in a long, long time.
So if I was in charge, that is the lineup change I would make... Which I guess is two moves, with Ty Hamilton heading to the bench. But you get my point. Just make Ohio State’s pass rush great again.
Gene’s Take
Funny enough, when Josh and I decided to take a look at the depth chart for this version of You’re Nuts in the theme of ‘If I Was in Charge,’ we didn’t discuss which part of the team we were going to make adjustments to. There are no shortage of discussions to be had on offense — alignment of the offensive line, who are the top three wide receivers, who should really start at QB, etc. But instead, both of us wound up on defense.
Specifically, we both are making changes along the defensive line. It does make sense, given that Ohio State’s defensive front has not gotten the job done each of the last several years, which in turn has left the Buckeyes short of their goals. Larry Johnson’s group has failed to get to the quarterback with any regularity, especially in the games that matter most. That being said, Josh and I are both going about our changes very differently.
Instead of shifting guys around and starting different players at different positions, I am choosing to alter the base defense to better fit Ohio State’s current personnel. We’ve heard rumors of the Jack position under Jim Knowles, but the Buckeyes are yet to feature it prominently. That is why if I was in charge, I would force LJ to move to a three-down front with a ‘Jack’, with Sawyer, Williams and Tuimoloau as your hand-in-the-dirt linemen and a rotating duo of C.J. Hicks and Arvell Reese as your edge/linebacker hybrid.
Both Hicks and Reese are facing somewhat of an uphill battle for playing time, especially now that Sonny Styles has made the move to full-time linebacker. In a system that starts just two linebackers full time, those spots are likely to be filled by Styles and Cody Simon the majority of the time. However, both Hicks and Reese are far too talent to not see the field in a significant role for the Buckeyes in 2024, and I think having both of them up near the line of scrimmage could be a difference maker on what should be one of the nation’s best defensive units across the board.
Hicks, the elder statesman of the two heading into his junior season, was a five-star prospect and the No. 7 player overall in the 2022 recruiting class. Reese, meanwhile, was the No. 5 player in Ohio in 2023, now in his sophomore season in Columbus. Both were recruited to Ohio State as linebackers, but both have shown to be adept at rushing the passer in their high school careers. As the Jack, they would also have the option of dropping into coverage playing like a true linebacker, but with the added bonus of being an extra pass-rusher on the field on certain downs alongside the three-down linemen.
Ohio State had a good defense last season, but it was limited but its lack of ability to rush the quarterback. The Buckeyes finished 10th in the Big Ten with 28 sacks as a team — nowhere near good enough by program standards. We expect the secondary to return to Silver Bullets status, led by guys like Caleb Downs, Lathan Ransom, Denzel Burke, Jordan Hancock and others, but the back end of the defense needs to be helped out by a front end that doesn’t give opposing QBs all day to find an open man.
The Jack position has a chance to be a true game changer for Ohio State, and Hicks and Reese are two perfect candidates to fill that role.
Continue reading...