Spring Preview: New Look Defensive Line For Buckeyes

Overview

The Buckeyes have a number of upperclassmen who are finally going to get the kind of reps they’ve been wanting since they signed with Ohio State. If they don’t do enough with those reps, then somebody younger will gladly step in and give it the ol’ college try. The lack of returning production all across the defensive line is a worry. It can be written off as a byproduct of lack of opportunity the last two years, which isn’t incorrect, but it also doesn’t accurately predict what to expect from an entirely new batch of starters in 2025. There should be enough talent at defensive end to give quarterbacks trouble, but the proven depth on the interior may be a concern.

Scholarship Roster

Defensive End

Caden Curry, Sr, 6-3 260
Has been the No. 4 defensive end in terms of snaps the past two seasons. Curry has posted 4.0 sacks and 7.0 tackles for loss in those two seasons. What can he do with more reps finally as a senior?

CJ Hicks, Sr, 6-3 233
Has moved from linebacker so he can better utilize his skill set. Will still need to learn to play under control and finish, but the potential is exciting.

Kenyatta Jackson, rJr, 6-6 258
The No. 3 defensive end the past two seasons has posted 3.0 sacks and 5.0 tackles for loss in that span.

Logan George, rJr, 6-5 259
Transfer from Idaho State who had a fantastic redshirt sophomore season last year. How will he transition to a higher level of play?

Joshua Mickens, rSoph, 6-3 233
Finally saw a little bit of action last year as a redshirt freshman, playing in five games.

Dominic Kirks, rFr, 6-4 255
Played in three games last year as a true freshman.

Zion Grady, Fr, 6-4 240
True freshman already enrolled with a ton of promise.

Epi Sitanilei, Fr, 6-5 225
True freshman who won’t be on campus until the summer, which will put him behind, but it’s a long season.

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Defensive Tackle

Tywone Malone, rSr, 6-4 301
Now in his third year at Ohio State after transferring from Ole Miss and baseball, if it’s going to happen, it has to happen now.

Kayden McDonald, Jr, 6-3 326
The heir apparent at nose tackle has played in big moments each of his first two seasons.

Will Smith, Jr., rSoph, 6-4 288
Only played in seven games last season but will have an opportunity this spring to show he belongs.

Jason Moore, rSoph, 6-6 305
After playing in the first seven games last year, Moore only played in two of the final nine contests. A ton of promise, but still looking for consistency.

Eddrick Houston, Soph, 6-3 285
Moved from defensive end in mid-season and almost immediately became the backup three tech defensive tackle behind Tyleik Williams.

Eric Mensah, rFr, 6-3 290
Played in the first three games last season but then that was it. The lack of depth on the interior should help him get plenty of reps this spring.

Maxwell Roy, Fr, 6-3 285
Coming in off of a wrestling injury so will be slowed during spring.

Jarquez Carter, Fr, 6-2 285
Defensive line coach Larry Johnson has compared him to former Buckeye defensive tackle Michael Hall.

Trajen Odom, Fr, 6-3 285
An intriguing prospect that will need a year or so to see what he grows into and can handle.

For Starters

All four starters from the 2024 season are gone — and they were the same guys starting in 2023 as well. The Buckeyes lost 85.5% of their defensive line sacks from last year and 82.8% of their tackles for loss. Despite the losses, Larry Johnson has a pretty good idea of what his first unit will look like, especially in the spring. Kenyatta Jackson and Caden Curry are now fourth-year players, but they can still use the work. Eddrick Houston and Kayden McDonald are the top two defensive tackles and both have tons of potential. Can CJ Hicks or Logan George make a push for a starting spot at defensive end? The Buckeyes need more than a starting four this season. They need at least eight guys they are comfortable playing. Will they leave spring knowing who those eight guys are?

New Additions

Alabama defensive end Zion Grady is a Top 100 player and was a high-output tackler in high school. California defensive end Epi Sitanilei was originally committed to UCLA. He is ranked the No. 27 defensive end in the 2025 class. Defensive tackle Maxwell Roy attended the same high school as Marvin Harrison, Jr. He is ranked the No. 36 defensive tackle in the nation and the No. 9 player in the state of Pennsylvania. Florida’s Jarquez Carter is a Top 200 player and expected to start out at three tech. Trajen Odom is a three-star prospect out of North Carolina who had 22 tackles for loss as a junior. The biggest impact of the new additions should be defensive end Logan George. The Idaho State transfer posted 56 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks last season.

Spring Depth Chart

Defensive End

97	Kenyatta Jackson
11	CJ Hicks
52	Joshua Mickens

Defensive End

92	Caden Curry
NA	Logan George
55	Dominic Kirks
NA	Zion Grady

Three Technique

96	Eddrick Houston
95	Tywone Malone
94	Jason Moore
NA	Jarquez Carter
NA	Trajen Odom

Nose Tackle

98	Kayden McDonald
53	Will Smith, Jr.
90	Eric Mensah
NA	Trajen Odom

What’s The Latest

The buzz is growing for sophomore defensive tackle Eddrick Houston, who is still relatively new at the position. He picked it up quickly last year, however, and the expectation is that the same learning pace will continue this year. Former teammates Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau had glowing praise for him at last month’s NFL Combine. Spring practice is about improving as an individual, so this will be Houston’s first real opportunity to take things (relatively) slowly and soak in the teaching.

Expectations

Kenyatta Jackson is emerging as a leader on the defensive line, and it’s happening at the right time. Expect to see him at the front of the line all spring long. His former teammates spoke very highly of him at the NFL Combine, and you can expect that his current teammates will do the same. The hope this season is that his production will start to match his impressive physical traits.

Question Needing An Answer

Will the Buckeyes need to go to the portal after spring ball? Larry Johnson may like his top four at defensive end, but they need to find a top four at defensive tackle that isn’t just seeded by default. They need guys who can play. Ohio State’s coaches didn’t have enough time to shop the portal during the winter because they were still in the playoffs. This spring, however, they will have as much time as everybody else. Expect them to be active. They may not purchase anything, but they’ll definitely be browsing.

Breakout Candidate

Let’s just go ahead and assume CJ Hicks is going to have a very good spring battling a bunch of new offensive tackles. He’s going to be happy and hungry, and his speed and quickness are going to be a problem for the Buckeye tackles. It will also help that he won’t be asked to do a ton of run-stopping in the spring, but they’ll still try to get him ready for that by fall camp. There is a long way to go to get Hicks ready to be an every-down defensive end, but there is no doubt that you’re going to see everything he’s got to give.

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