When spring practice ended for the Buckeyes, Ryan Day made it clear he was not happy with the quality of depth at defensive tackle, and they were going to take a serious look at finding help in the transfer portal. That’s proving to be easier said than done.
The problem is supply and demand. There aren’t a lot of top-quality defensive tackles left, and the demand for them is very high. That results in high prices. According to a source quoted by Bucknuts, the going NIL rate for this position is up to around $750,000. Paying that for an impact player makes sense, but not for someone being brought in just for depth. There are plenty of depth guys, but not potential starters or impact players remaining.
One quality defensive tackle Ohio State was making a major push for is 247 Sports Freshman All-American Maraad Watson, formerly of Syracuse. He’s big (6’3”, 315 pounds), physical, and is exactly what they need right now. Unfortunately, the Buckeyes weren't able to sign him, as he went with Texas instead.
One thing to keep in mind is that Ohio State’s starters are all but set at their two defensive tackle positions. Both Kayden McDonald and Eddrick Houston came on during the Buckeyes’ playoff run to a national title. McDonald played a major role in that now legendary goal line stand against Texas in the Cotton Bowl.
Houston is a former 5-star defensive end recruit who made the move inside to tackle midway through the 2024 season and flourished. The concern is what’s behind them. They have a few guys who can still emerge as a backup for Houston, but finding someone to spell the massive McDonald (6’3”, 326 pounds) at nose tackle is the problem. This is where the recruitment of Watson becomes vitally important.
Ohio State will now go into fall camp with some huge question marks on the interior of its defensive line. Not what you want when this team has the ability to make another run for a national title.