Ohio State Football: Are defensive ends about to breakout?

Heading into the season, the Ohio State football team’s defensive end group was hyped up as possibly one of the best rooms in program history.

Zach Harrison was expected to take the jump, becoming a dominant force. The veterans Tyreke Smith, Tyler Friday, and Javontae Jean-Baptiste were going to improve. And finally, the true freshmen studs Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau were going to wreak havoc after learning from the vets in the room.

This plan has not worked out five games into the season. All of the veterans in the group have dealt with injuries, which is not helping anything. Harrison has been inconsistent as in years past. Friday of course had his season-ending injury before the year even started. Smith has almost been a non-factor alongside dealing with injuries. Jean-Baptiste is more of the same as his peer defensive ends.

The freshmen Tuimoloau and Sawyer have not really disappointed. If anything, Tuimoloau, in particular, has been quite good for getting with the team right before fall camp. Sawyer has flashed at times as he steadily improves.

Ohio State fans are used to seeing sacks in waves from their defensive end group, and this year it was supposed to be special. All of that is still on the table, but with few sacks to show for, the defensive ends are not doing enough.

The defensive line is still improving with the defensive tackles starting to create a ton of disruption. The defensive ends do deserve some credit for the tackles’ success though since quarterbacks are being pushed up in the pocket due to some end pressure. But still, the defensive ends were expected to be one of the best and most dominant forces in all of college football.

Jack Sawyer predicts the d-line is about to get “scary”

The defensive ends and the defensive line as a whole are starting to generate more pressure. As mentioned, the ends can still become absolutely dominant as players get healthy and the five-star freshmen develop. Sawyer gave his thoughts on the defensive line’s progression this week ahead of the Maryland game,

"“I think here in a few weeks you guys are gonna be like, “Wow here’s the Buckeyes d-line,” that you guys have seen in years past, and it’s coming.”“Just the way we’re practicing everyday, we’re getting better, our hands are getting better, we’re flying off the football, and guys are just progressing at a high rate right now. And it’s all of us too, it’s not just certain guys, it’s the whole d-line room. When you see guys start progressing like that as a whole unit, it kinda gets to that point where it’s like okay here it is.”"

That is certainly very encouraging to hear. You have to think that dominant d-line with ruthless ends is going to come eventually with so much talent being coached by the best in the game, Larry Johnson.

The Ohio State football team should be comfortable with how their secondary is panning out right now. Adding a fearsome and consistent pass rush alongside the improving linebackers and good corner play will be huge for this defense.

That breakout by the defensive ends Sawyer describes needs to come sooner than later with the schedule starting to get quite difficult starting later this month. The defensive ends beginning to give opposing offensive line fits could come at no better time than right now.