Ohio State Football: 3 Buckeyes who need a big offseason

No 2: J.T. Tuimoloau, defensive end

Why does one of the best players on the defensive side of the ball need to have a big offseason? Well, it’s because Ohio State did not have a superstar on defense in 2022. J.T. Tuimoloau played like a superstar against Penn State, and he also had his moments in other games as well. But if he wants to take the reigns as the next Buckeye defensive end to be a first-round NFL Draft pick then this will be an extremely important spring for Tuimoloau.

For as great as Tuimoloau played in 2022, he only had 3.5 sacks. He’ll need to work hard and have a great offseason if he wants to make the next jump as an elite pass rusher. Year three is when Chase Young took his big jump into stardom so hopefully history can repeat itself.

Tuimoloau has all the ability in the world, coming into Ohio State as a top-five national recruit in 2021. And he certainly showed flashes of being an elite pass rusher in 2022. But as we saw in the Peach Bowl against Georgia, the Buckeyes just lacked that playmaker on defense. Tuimoloau is the Ohio State football team’s best chance at having one of those in 2023.

With a big offseason, Tuimoloau could become a major reason why the Buckeyes can get back to the College Football Playoff in 2023.