Ohio State Football: 5 most important Buckeyes on defense

The Ohio State football team is getting ready for the 2020 campaign. Who are the five most important players on defense?

The Ohio State defense has some holes to fill. Starting foremost with the departure of star pass rusher Chase Young and lockdown cornerback Jeff Okudah. Replacing those two will not be easy but the Buckeyes do have the talent on this roster to help ease these pain of losing them.

While losing six starters from one of the best defenses in the country in 2019, this 2020 version of the defense is sure to see a decline. The question is, how much? While they may not be the shut down defense from last year, this Ohio State team is going to need to play solid defense to help get them back to the College Football Playoffs.

These five Buckeye defenders will be the most important to the unit if Ohio State wants to see major success in 2020.

No. 5: Zach Harrison, defensive end

There are some high expectations for Zach Harrison for his sophomore season. The former five-star, top 15 national recruit has all the tools and skills to be a top pass rusher for Ohio State. As a true freshman last season, Harrison registered 3.5 sacks and 24 tackles. Now with Chase Young moving onto the NFL, Harrison will be looked upon to provide a pass rush for this Buckeye defense.

 Tyreke Smith will also finally get an opportunity to help but Harrison is the one that posses all the physical traits that you look for in a dominant defensive end. I would expect to see Harrison on the field a lot during his second season with the program, especially in passing situations.

And if the Buckeyes want to run through its Big Ten schedule without a loss, Harrison is going to need to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.