We continue our positional rankings of Ohio State’s 2024 opponents with a look at the 12 defensive lines the Buckeyes will face this season. To no one’s surprise, there will be some familiar names at the top and some expected names at the bottom.
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1. Penn State [Game 8, November 2 – Away]
All-Big Ten linebacker Abdul Carter has moved to defensive end and is expected to excel. The other end is junior Dani Dennis-Sutton, who started three times last year and posted 6.5 TFLs. He was a Third-Team All-B1G selection. There are five defensive tackles with considerable starting experience, including Honorable Mention All-B1G selections Dvon Ellies and Zane Durant.
2. Michigan [Game 12, November 30 – Home]
Three starters are gone from last year, but defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are very good. They combined for 12.5 TFLs last year. Rayshaun Benny is the third guy inside but they need more. Derrick Moore and Josaiah Stewart are productive defensive ends who have been mostly situational players at Michigan. Will they be as effective as every-down players this year?
3. Oregon [Game 6, October 12 – Away]
Oregon’s potential talent on the defensive line gives the Ducks an argument for the best in the Big Ten. Sophomore DEs Tetum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei showed flashes as freshmen. Senior Jordan Burch is a big end who had 7.5 TFLs last year. Defensive tackle Derrick Harmon comes over from Michigan State. He pairs with Houston transfer Jamaree Caldwell who had 8.5 TFLs last year.
4. Iowa [Game 5, October 5 – Home]
Honorable mention All-B1G DT Yahya Black is one of two starters returning. He posted 51 tackles and five TFLs last year. The other starter is Honorable Mention All-B1G DE Deontae Craig, who finished with 54 tackles and five TFLs. Senior DE Ethan Hurkett didn’t start a game but still produced 52 tackles and six TFLs. Defensive tackle Aaron Graves posted 37 tackles and 4.5 TFLs.
5. Nebraska [Game 7, October 26 – Home]
Honorable Mention All-Big Ten DTs Nash Hutmacher and Ty Robinson are back. Hutmacher posted 40 tackles and eight TFLs last year. Robinson, a sixth-year senior with 34 career starts, finished with 29 tackles and four TFLs in 2023. Honorable Mention All-B1G DE Jimari Bulter posted 34 tackles and 8.5 TFLs last year. The run defense went from 189 yds/game in 2022 to just 93 last year.
6. Purdue [Game 9, November 9 – Home]
Purdue got 17.5 sacks from Nic Scourton and Kydran Jenkins last year. Scourton left via the transfer portal and Jenkins has moved to middle linebacker. Sophomore DE Will Heidt played in every game last year and is expected to be a very effective pass rusher. There are all kinds of transfer players here as head coach Ryan Walters tries to piece things together.
7. Northwestern [Game 10, November 16 – Away]
There are a half-dozen defensive linemen here with starting experience. One starter departs from last season. Junior defensive end Aidan Hubbard led the defensive line with 8.5 TFLs last year off the bench. Three other DEs with starting experience return as well. Starting DTs Najee Story and Carmine Bastone will be the main components of a relatively deep rotation.
8. Indiana [Game 11, November 23 – Home]
Depth is always going to be an issue here. This year they will likely be starting a pair of James Madison transfers. Defensive end Mikail Kamara was a Second-Team All-Sun Belt pick last year after posting 18.5 TFLs. Tackle James Carpenter is a two-time All-Sun Belt selection. Third-Team All-MAC tackle CJ West comes from Kent State. Expect an aggressive attack up front.
9. Michigan State [Game 4, September 28 – Away]
Three starters are gone, which makes this an uphill battle for new head coach Jonathan Smith. Transfers have come in from Cincinnati, Middle Tennessee, Oregon, Nebraska, Old Dominion, and Georgia Tech. Returning defensive ends Khris Bogle and Jalen Thompson combined for nine starts and 33 tackles last year. Defensive tackle D’Quan Douse posted 35 tackles last year at GT.
10. Marshall [Game 3, September 21 – Home]
Both starting defensive ends are gone but they have four possibilities here that have previously played at places like Miami, Virginia, and Colorado. Michael Green came over from UVA and was a valuable reserve last year. He will be the pass rusher Ohio State should worry about. Defensive tackles TyQaze Leggs and Isaiah Gibson were part of a Herd defense that allowed 4.3 ypc last year.
11. Akron [Game 1, August 31 – Home]
Three starting defensive linemen return from the No. 5 rush defense in the Mid-American Conference. Rush end CJ Nunnally was an All-MAC pick last year after posting 65 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 7.0 sacks. The other defensive end is senior Bennett Adler who emerged last year with 26 tackles and five TFLs. The DTs feature JUCO transfers and players from UTEP and New Mexico State.
12. Western Michigan [Game 2, September 7 – Home]
There are four defensive linemen returning with starting experience, including three of their four top starters last year. Western Michigan was ninth in the MAC last year in yards per carry allowed (4.6). Junior defensive end Corey Walker started 12 games last year and posted 31 tackles and eight TFLs. Sophomore defensive tackle Anterio Thompson transferred over from Iowa.
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