Ohio State Football: Linebackers improving under Al Washington
When Ohio State head coach Ryan Day poached Al Washington from Michigan it was quite a get bringing in a phenomenal coach who helped lead the Wolverines to a top-ten defense last season.
Not long after the conclusion of the 2018 season, the Buckeyes began making coaching changes needed to replace Urban Meyer and the coaches who left for other opportunities. One such coach brought into the fold was Al Washington who will look to improve a unit which had its share of struggles last season.
Some units, such as the receiving corps or the offensive line, are losing at least two starters from last season. However, the linebacker unit is only losing Dante Booker, who only played in six games but still made a difference and was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent.
With Washington coaching the likes of Malik Harrison, Pete Werner and Tuf Borland, the Buckeyes will look to move up from 72nd in total defense last year.
Because they cover the middle of the field, the play of the linebackers often affect the rest of the defense. The total yardage per game given up last season shows the Buckeyes ranked incredibly low for a team loaded with so many talented linebackers on the roster.
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Players like Baron Browning, Teradja Mitchell and Justin Hilliard will have to step up. Harrison, Werner and Borland are by no means set in stone as the starters, and Browning could see just as much time as Borland at the ILB position. Even as backups, these three will be vital to helping the Buckeyes improve a shaky defense.
Last season, the main problem was the breakaway runs given up by the Silver Bullets. This was often the result of the running back bursting through the defensive line, evading the linebackers and causing the defensive backs to come off the receivers they were covering to make the tackle. By that time the running back was already at least twenty to thirty yards downfield.
With the leadership of Washington and another year under their belts, the linebackers will look to make the tackle once the back gets through the line, holding the gains to a maximum of three yards.
If the Buckeye linebackers can make this fix, it will allow the defensive line to be more aggressive in getting into the backfield to make TFLs. It will also allow the DBs to stay on the receivers they are covering, thus preventing long gains both through the air AND on the ground.
Next. DE unit could be Larry Johnson’s best. dark
With an improved linebacker unit, the entire Ohio State defense could return to Silver Bullet status and become one of the best in the Big Ten.