Ohio State football: Is this the season Kenyatta Jackson Jr. finally breaks out?

Kenyatta Jackson Jr. was a Top-100 recruit out of Florida in the 2022 recruiting class for the Ohio State football team. The 6-5, 235-pound defensive end was ranked 8th overall in his class for his position and was viewed by many as the next star edge rusher for Ohio State.

Since then, Jackson Jr. has had a frustrating first two years at Ohio State. He was red-shirted as a true freshman and has totaled only 8 tackles and one sack at this point in his career.

It doesn't help that he has been buried on the depth chart behind Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, with whispers swirling he could decide to look for a starting job elsewhere once Sawyer and Tuimoloau announced they would both be returning for their senior year this upcoming season.

Despite the rumors and multiple occasions of voicing his frustrations with his playing time, Jackson Jr. decided to stay at Ohio State for his junior year. This past March he stated, "There was no doubt in my mind that this is home", which ought to be music to the ears of Ohio State fans.

With the expansion of the college football playoff, there should be a greater chance at playing time for Jackson Jr. The possibility of a 17-game season means that defensive line coach Larry Johnson will most likely have to rotate players more often. The two candidates to potentially see the field more would be Jackson Jr. and fellow junior Caden Curry.

Given the potential for an extended season that should include multiple blowout games and an additional year for Jackson Jr. to hone his craft, no one should be surprised if this is a breakout season for the kid from Florida.

There is no reason why at the very least a 5+ sack season is out of the question. He has all the tools to be the next great defensive end at Ohio State, it's just a matter of if he can get the job done.