Ohio State football: Denzel Burke back, Parker Fleming out, new safeties coach hired

Once the 2023 season was over, the Ohio State football program knew they had to change. With TTUN now as the reigning national champions, that wasn't acceptable. The Buckeyes have decided to make more staff changes to make sure they are back on top in the Big Ten.

First off, Parker Fleming is out. He has been let go by Ryan Day after an outcry for months from the fanbase. He added no value to the special teams unit and actually was a detriment to them. He made them actively worse, but now is no longer a part of the program.

With one coach leaving the program, another one has been hired. Matt Guerrieri has been hired as safeties coach. He is replacing Perry Eliano, who was fired after two years with the Ohio State football program. Guerrieri was the defensive coordinator with Indiana last season.

On the player front, Denzel Burke has decided that he is staying for his senior season. Burke is the Buckeyes' best cornerback and comes back to a loaded Buckeye secondary. He was put on an island most of last year and came up big. He was a big reason why the Buckeyes were the best defense against the pass.

As you can see, a lot of things just dropped in a short amount of time. All of this news is great, to be honest. Burke coming back is massive for a defense that looks like it will be a monster again next year. They just need one last push to be truly elite in the best games.

Getting rid of Fleming should open up a spot on the staff to help do that. Perhaps the Buckeyes get a linebackers coach or an assistant D-line coach to learn from Larry Johnson before he retires. Adding Guerrieri is big too because he knows how an entire defense works.

Despite having some negativity around the program after the bowl game, the Buckeyes are back on the rise!