One unit on the Ohio State football team has an interesting group of freshmen. I’m sure their position coach will have fun working with these guys.
The most interesting group of freshmen on the Ohio State football team are the four defensive ends. One is a true DE, another is a DT who will at least start his Buckeye career on the edge, a linebacker who has been converted to end and a big guy who nobody is quite sure what position he will eventually end up playing.
Who better to work with this bunch than Larry Johnson. The magician who always seems to find the appropriate way to use his players.
First let’s take a look at the guy who many expect to make an immediate impact as a freshman.
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Tyreke Smith 6-4, 255: Smith was the No. 4 ranked defensive end in the 2018 recruiting class. He just his lost his black stripe and now will battle junior Jashon Cornell for playing time in the two deep
Tyler Friday 6-3, 255: Like Smith, Friday was a top 100 player and the No. 6 defensive tackle in the 2018 recruiting class. He appears to have the body to play DE but has yet to lose his black stripe.
Alex Williams 6-6, 260: He was an athletic linebacker in high school who kept growing. He may end up playing on the inside but who knows. He will be a fun player to follow.
This next guy will be also.
Javontae Jean-Baptiste 6-5, 235: This former high school linebacker reminds me of a young Sam Hubbard. Both are about the same height and each weighed around 215-220 pounds their senior year in high school. Like Hubbard, Jean-Baptiste will be a project but has the potential to become a star down the road.
It will be interesting to see just how these talented players will progress during their Ohio State careers, and what positions a couple of them will end up playing. However, I’m sure with Larry Johnson as their defensive line coach everything will turn out just fine for this group of freshmen.