Ohio State’s defensive recruiting has stayed hot, and the Buckeyes may be building something even bigger up front than they were a year ago.
That raises an interesting question: did former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles actually hold the defensive line back?
Larry Johnson is putting together what could be the best defensive line class he has had since taking over the position more than a decade ago. He has already landed two five-star recruits and a pair of four-star prospects, with Karlos May joining the group on Saturday afternoon. That kind of haul looks familiar for Johnson, who was bringing in prospects like that on a regular basis before Knowles arrived.
The difference, according to the source material, is how Knowles wanted the front to play. In his system, the defensive line was asked more to occupy space than to chase sacks.
That matters in recruiting. Defensive linemen want production, especially sack totals, because that is the kind of thing that helps them get drafted in the first round.
So maybe Johnson wasn’t slowing down on the trail at all. Maybe the recruits were the ones who weren’t sold on Knowles’ approach.
Ohio State’s defense has still kept rolling in the post-Knowles era. Under Matt Patricia last season, the Buckeyes had the best defense in the country, and the players responded quickly to him. The source says Patricia connected with the defensive room in a way Knowles did not, and he also took the time to explain why players were being used in certain ways rather than just telling them what to do.
That has shown up in recruiting, too. The current defensive linemen can see the difference, and it has helped Ohio State build the class it has now.
The Buckeyes could still finish with one of the best recruiting classes in the country. They remain in the mix for a five-star recruit and several four-star players, and the fall will give them a chance to lock things in and add more late in the cycle.
As for Knowles, he is now the defensive coordinator at Tennessee. Ohio State, meanwhile, looks set to be strong on defense again this season. Whether Knowles can get Tennessee playing at that same level right away is still an open question, even if his track record suggests that may not come easily.
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