Ohio State football: My two cents on fixing the defense
By Del Barris
Get deeper and bigger at linebacker – Depth at this position was a concern even before the season, but things got much worse when Dallas Gant and K’Vaughan Pope left the program. The Buckeyes played the Michigan game with just four healthy scholarship linebackers and it was almost certainly one of those, true freshman Reid Carrico, would not play because of wanting to preserve his redshirt (he had already played in the maximum allowed four games).
When Mitchell Melton was lost for the season to an injury in the spring, Cade Stover should have been moved back to this position from tight end. He was impressive in limited playing time as a true freshman and would have provided a big body the Buckeyes are lacking here.
In 2020, OSU had two starting linebackers over 240 pounds. This season they had none. Too often this unit struggled to shed blocks and had issues when a lineman or tight end made solid contact. Former USC transfer Palaie Gaoteote is 248 pounds, Melton is 245. I’m hoping those two are very much a part of the defense going into next season. I’m also hoping 225 pound Steele Chambers adds bulk because he’s too good of an athlete to not be in the rotation.
Sure up the backend – I don’t care who is in charge of the defense in 2022, what scheme they run or philosophy they believe, this defense can’t go forward with Bryson Shaw at safety. The loss of Josh Proctor was enormous and was felt nearly every week.
It is not yet known if Proctor will return. If he doesn’t, I don’t think the Buckeyes will have to dip into the transfer portal, because there are some viable options already on the roster. The first name that comes to mind is the team’s leading tackler, Ronnie Hickman, who has spent this season at the Bullet position. Regardless of whether they stay with the single-high safety or go to a two-deep, a change is needed on the back end.
Hit the transfer portal hard – Make getting former LSU transfer cornerback Elias Ricks a priority. He would be an excellent addition to a cornerbacks group that already includes freshman All-American Denzel Burke and Cam Brown.
A linebacker or two would certainly be nice, but definitely a couple of space-eating, immovable-object defensive tackles in the 310-315 pound range. Tyleik Williams is the only guy on this year’s roster who fits this description. A few more like him will help.
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Everybody has had an opinion on this subject, this just happens to be mine. This defense is bent, bashed, and battered, but I don’t think it is beyond repair by the time the Buckeyes open with Notre Dame next season.