As Ohio State football enters Big Ten play, the defensive line is still working to solidify its core.
"This is a different defense than we had last year," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. "Different personnel, different guys."
Then Day pointed to the Buckeyes' performance against Texas.
"I think we have a reference point on where we are against a very good team," he continued. "And I think as we look at it, now we have to put the right pieces together. It’s not going to be exactly the same as it was last year."
The Buckeyes lost seven defensive starters to the NFL draft this offseason, including key linemen in defensive tackle Kayden McDonald and defensive end Caden Curry.
Outside of starting defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr., who has been on the field for 125 snaps across three games, no other defensive lineman has recorded more than 94 snaps this season.
Junior Edrrick Houston and UCF transfer John Walker have started each game at defensive tackle, with Jackson and sophomore Zion Grady starting on the ends in the opening two games. Grady missedthe 59-3 victory over Kent State due to a right knee sprain he suffered against Texas the week prior, allowing Alabama transfer Qua Russaw to make his first start for Ohio State. He lined up on the right side.
Defensive linemen James Smith, another transfer from Alabama, and Jason Moore have also logged significant snaps from off the bench.
"Guys like Eddrick, Jason Moore, who have multiple years in the program, are starting to come into their own a little bit," Day said. "But these are the guys who we are going to have to count on throughout the season. And it isn't just flashing, it's the consistent play over an extended period of time. That's what we're going to need."
The Buckeyes were seventh in the nation in rushing yards allowed last season, limiting opponents to 89.7 rushing yards per game while finishing with 35 sacks and 78 tackles for loss.
Ohio State recorded just one sack in the season-opener against Ball State, which sophomore Epi Sitanilei notched in the final seven minutes of the game, and bigger concerns appeared when the Buckeyes fell 24-23 to the Longhorns on the road.
Ohio State sacked Texas quarterback Arch Manning twice, both times during the second quarter. However, the Buckeyes failed to get to Manning consistently, putting him under pressure on just 11 of his 44 dropbacks (25%). The defense also allowed the Longhorns to pick up 67 yards on 16 carries during their 21-point comeback in the fourth quarter.
"We needed the defense to win the game for us," Day said. "We certainly had opportunities to be more aggressive on fourth down. We didn’t go after them and execute very well."
Against Kent State, Ohio State's defensive line recorded two sacks, with Moore, who joined Ohio State in 2023, notching the first of his Buckeyes career.
"He just kept working, and working, and working," Day said. "And he found himself in a backup role, and now he's finding himself getting a lot more reps. ... Jason's becoming a more important guy for us, and that will take on a new role, because he's going to play more and we're going to count on him to make plays."
bmackay@dispatch.com
@brimackay15
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football still putting 'right pieces together' on DL
