Closer Look: Beau Atkinson Has Experience Up And Down Defensive Line

Beau Atkinson (6-6 265) is a fourth-year junior from North Carolina who led the Tar Heels with 12.0 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks last season. He also added 35 tackles and five quarterback hurries. As a redshirt freshman in 2023, he posted 19 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries, and a forced fumble.

Atkinson was seen as the top available defensive end in the portal when he committed to Ohio State following spring practice. He attended Leesville Road High School in Raleigh, North Carolina where he was a four-star prospect. He was ranked the No. 249 player in the nation and the No. 22 edge player overall in the 2022 recruiting class.

What To Like

In his time at North Carolina, Beau Atkinson played everywhere on the defensive line other than nose tackle. He played in both even and odd-man fronts and could line up just about anywhere within the different fronts as well. His time on the interior mainly came on passing downs, which suits exactly what the Buckeyes like to do as well.

Atkinson has size and strength to hold up at the point of attack, but also possesses the mobility to chase the ball. He was a patient defender with the Tar Heels who reads plays well and can be as proactive as he is reactive. He spent his time at UNC as part of a large rotation, which he’ll likely see again this year at Ohio State.

His most productive game came last year against Florida State (see below). He posted 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. The Seminoles should get a little bit of credit for those numbers, but Atkinson was disruptive throughout.

Here's every snap (about 20) for Beau Atkinson (12) against Florida State last year. He finished with 4.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks. pic.twitter.com/DmXyUvmoWd
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) May 18, 2025

The Potential

The only start for Beau Atkinson in his career came in last year’s Fenway Bowl when normal starter Desmond Evans did not play. Despite the lack of starts and lower number of snaps than a typical sack and TFL leader, Atkinson has been productive and makes the most of his limited opportunities. He was put in position to succeed and often did exactly that.

Some of his time at North Carolina was spent as a pass-rush specialist, but he can be more than that. He can be a strong-side defensive end on early downs and then slide inside on passing downs. Entering his fourth year in college, the Buckeyes will get the best version of Atkinson to date, but he must show that he can hold up over a long Big Ten season and whatever else happens after that.

Atkinson will also have to adjust to a base 4-3 defense, provided that’s what Ohio State will still be running in the fall.

Beau Atkinson against Virginia last year. Four tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and 2.0 sacks. pic.twitter.com/2aEyhhBpJh
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) May 18, 2025

The Expectations

Seven of Beau Atkinson’s 12.0 tackles for loss last season and 5.5 of his 7.5 sacks came in the two games shown above (Florida State and Virginia). As such, it’s difficult to know what to expect from Atkinson this year. His numbers were never consistent, and the only Top 25 team he’s faced as a player was 25th-ranked Miami in 2023.

Now that he is a Buckeye, the level of competition is going to increase for Atkinson. He will see more ranked opponents in one season at Ohio State than he saw in three seasons at North Carolina. The expectation is that he’ll be more than capable of being part of the Buckeyes’ defensive end rotation with Kenyatta Jackson, Caden Curry, CJ Hicks, and Logan George. Whether he is first or fifth among that group in snap counts is still up for debate.

Having a history of sliding inside on passing downs should give Atkinson ample opportunity to get some pass rushing done, however. Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson has moved defensive ends inside on passing downs forever, so Atkinson should fit right in with those plans.

Every snap for Beau Atkinson against North Carolina State. pic.twitter.com/xVrEXWiium
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) May 18, 2025

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that when Ohio State got a commitment from Beau Atkinson, they had just landed somebody who has been more productive in one season than all of the returning OSU defensive ends combined. That fact creates some expectation, but realistically, Atkinson is more than likely just going to be a piece of the puzzle. Which is perfectly fine. When he runs into an advantage, Larry Johnson will lean on him more. When he doesn’t, maybe his snaps won’t be as plentiful. Whatever he gets, however, he will have earned.

Atkinson may not start for the Buckeyes, or he may be the only defensive end who starts every single game this year. But whether he starts or not isn’t really the main concern. This Ohio State defensive line needs productive bodies, and Atkinson has a history of being productive. The problem, however, is that sometimes his production comes in waves, which would be just fine for Ohio State provided they could pick exactly when those waves happen.