COLUMBUS, Ohio- As the only two defensive ends in Ohio State’s 2016 class, Jonathon Cooper and Nick Bosa have been side-by-side since the beginning of their college career. During the first two seasons, Bosa has emerged as a star, recording 13.5 sacks and 23 tackles for loss.

While Bosa flourished on the field, Cooper stayed on the sideline. The former four-star recruit out of Gahanna Lincoln High School took advantage of defensive line coach Larry Johnson’s love for rotating players, recording two sacks and 15 tackles last season. However, the majority of his 2017 season was spent on the bench, watching players like Sam Hubbard and Chase Young, a five-star recruit out of the 2017 class, get the playing time.

Cooper feels different heading into the 2018 season, though. With Hubbard, Tyquan Lewis and Jalyn Holmes off to the NFL, the expectation for the junior defensive end is to fill the shoes of those who left.

Cooper was not necessarily trying to secure a starting spot over the past two seasons. More than anything, he was trying to integrate himself into the position room.

“I wouldn’t say I was really waiting my turn,” Cooper said. “I would say I was working as hard as I could just to be a part of those guys. I wouldn’t say waiting my turn, but I would say it’s my turn to step up.”

Knowing that it’s his turn to step up, Cooper said that he gained 20 pounds in the offseason, gaining muscle and becoming stronger at the defensive end position. However, he said he feels he has not lost any of the speed that brought him to Ohio State in the first place, describing himself as a very fast edge rusher.

With Cooper coming in for his third season, Johnson was very impressed with his progress in the offseason.

“He’s had a really great winter,” Johnson said. “Did a great job in the weight room. Gotten stronger. Gotten bigger. And this is his moment right now, it really is. He’s doing everything he can to make sure he grabs it.”

Cooper’s moment has arrived. His teammates on the line seem to know that as well. When asked about him, Young said that he, Cooper and Bosa were on the same level, saying that fans should expect eight-to-10 sacks from each of them in 2018.

Bosa, himself, has extremely high expectations for his fellow defensive end from the 2016 class for the upcoming season.

“It's definitely his year,” Bosa said. “He's a great player and people tend to overlook him a little bit, but he's going to be a super big part of our D-line this year, so I'm excited.”

Even with the opportunity to thrive on the defensive line, Cooper knows his place. He knows that he has to prove his worth on the line, something he has had to do on special teams and in moments on defense in his first two years at Ohio State.

However, already with a confidence and a swagger about him, Cooper said that his day will be arriving sooner rather than later.

“I know that Chase has a lot of hype around him and Nick Bosa has a lot of hype around him,” Cooper said. “I would like to think that I have a lot of hype around me too, but it’s okay, it’s going to come.”