Ohio State Football: 2020 recruiting needs defensive focus
The 2020 Ohio State recruiting class is shaping up to be another solid one. However, the defense is lacking with only one commit on that side of the ball.
According to both ESPN and 247 Sports, the Ohio State 2020 class is in the Top 10 in all of college football (9th in both). However, almost all of those recruits are on the offensive side of the ball which could turn out to be an issue.
Out of 17 recruits (not including transfers, who were all offensive players) in the 2019 class, only seven were on defense. That may not be an issue this year but it could cause problems in the near future.
Because of this recent deficit of defensive recruits coming in the Buckeyes have put themselves in a precarious place. If more recruits on that side of the ball don’t commit the depth will start to thin out.
The talent at each defensive unit (lineman, linebackers and secondary) is deep and elite, giving room for players to come in as substitutes or replace other players who are injured or struggling.
However, with a current total of only seven defensive recruits coming in this year and ONE next season these units will thin out. It will also force recruits that do come to Columbus to overwork themselves and heighten the risk for injuries.
When a team has a lot of depth and talent, which the Buckeyes have had for many, many years on defense, there is room for substitutions every few plays. With regular substitutions the Silver Bullets are able to rest and reload while still putting in replacements who are at or just below the same talent as the starters.
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With seven projected starters this year being seniors and only three junior starters, the Buckeyes could see the lack of depth pop up in 2020 at the least. By 2021 and ’22 the Buckeyes defense will still have players from impressive 2017 and ’18 classes, but will see themselves with a lack of depth on defense and the problems that come from that.
If Greg Mattison and others on the defensive staff don’t shift focus to bringing in more defensive talent, the Buckeyes could see a defense (which already lacked the level of intensity the Silver Bullets of yesteryear) shift into an even lower status.
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Adding two or three more defensive recruits will turn this around. If that doesn’t happen, look for the Buckeye offense to have to make up for the mistakes of the Ohio State defense for years to come.