The Ohio State football team is still hoping to land some massive recruits in the 2026 class. Specifically, they are looking at adding some really talented defensive line recruits. Larry Johnson hasn't done a good job of landing the same kinds of recruits that he used to.
Johnson hasn't been able to land a five-star defensive line recruit since the 2021 recruiting class. To his credit, he did fix the depth issues that the Buckeyes had in 2025 with his recruiting class. Simply put, he got more recruits on the roster. Still, there is a skill issue.
There's a reason why the Ohio State Buckeyes had to go to the transfer portal to get Beau Atkinson. They don't have enough guys who can rush the passer at a high level. Johnson still has some big fish on the board, and he needs to get a win in a big way.
Larry Johnson needs to give the Ohio State football team a win
Johnson has some high four-star recruits and a five-star recruit that he is still trying to land for the 2026 recruiting class. He needs to get a win so that Ohio State football fans can stop getting on his case. Getting some of these wins would also stop programs from negatively recruiting against him.
The Buckeyes have a new defensive system that they will be playing this season. What Matt Patricia is able to do with the defensive line could help determine what kind of defensive line recruits Johnson is able to get. Players want to be able to have sacks and tackles for loss. They don't want to strictly contain guys.
Now that Patricia is in charge, he is going to play his best players and put them in the best position to succeed. Ohio State has to figure out a way to get Johnson his recruiting powers back for the long-term success of the team.