Defense Preview For Ohio State In 2025
Defense could be a mystery for Ohio State in 2025. On defense, Ohio State has the best football player in the nation in Caleb Downs, but new Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia will have several holes to fill. There are several for the defending national champions.
Patricia won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. However, Patricia, who is replacing Jim Knowles, must fill gaps at every level on the Ohio State defense. Last year, Ohio State had the best scoring defense in the nation. How many points do you think Ohio State will give up in 2025?
Caleb Downs On Defense for OSU
The biggest star on Ohio State’s defense is Caleb Downs. The Alabama transfer had a down year last year, but is the consensus best player in the nation. He will be joined in the defensive backfield by returnees Davison Igbinosun and Jermaine Matthews Jr. Igbinosun was handy last year, but Matthews is a star in the making. Look for true freshman Devin Sanchez to get significant playing time.
Linebacker May Be Good For OSU In 2025
At linebacker, leading tackler Cody Simon was a fourth-round draft pick, but Sonny Styles and rising talent have been selected to wear the block O. The number 0 is given to a player who has been around a long time or inspires others. Styles’ leadership and playmaking ability will both be crucial for a team that’s replacing 17 players who played major roles last season, including the entire starting defensive line. And now that Styles has a full year of playing linebacker under his belt, his NFL-bound former Ohio State teammates expect him to be a star in 2025.
Arvell Reese is also returning at linebacker for Ohio State. Look for the former Glenville Tarblooder to have a big season for the Buckeyes. He is a freak athlete and could benefit from a paucity of returnees at this level in the defense. Reese gives Patricia an intriguing chess piece. Look for Freshman Riley Pettijohn to get significant playing time at linebacker.
Defensive Line Questions
The biggest question for Ohio State on defense is if Defensive Line Coach Larry Johnson, 80, can still recruit. He used to be the best in the nation. But, after back-to-back years of classes populated by three-star recruits from high school, many are calling him too old. People are calling on him to retire. The lack of recruiting success means that, besides the starting quartet, all of whom saw significant playing time last year, there is a lack of depth. This is a problem for Patricia and Johnson, who like to rotate players on the defensive to keep them fresh.
Ohio State does have one key newcomer on the defensive line in North Carolina transfer Beau Atkinson. He will play a key role for a depleted defensive line that lost all of its starters to the National Football League. Gone from the defense are Tyquan Lewis, JT Tuimoloau, Devin Hamilton, and Jack Sawyer. Many Buckeyes are in the NFL. The combination of graduations and poor recruiting means Ohio State will have a weakness on the defensive line. This is ironic because the defensive line used to be a strength for Ohio State.
Conclusion
The defense at Ohio State in 2025 will be a bit of a weakness for the Buckeyes. This is even though the Buckeyes have the likely best player in the nation in Downs. The biggest weakness at Ohio State on defense will be the defensive line. Patricia needs several players to step up to fill in for starters who have departed for the NFL.
