Spring football is here.
After a roller coaster of a 2021 season, from the highest of highs at the Rose Bowl to the lowest of lows at home against Oregon and in Ann Arbor against Michigan, Ohio State is back on the practice field with high expectations once again.
In the weeks leading up to the spring game, we'll break down the roster, going position-by-position to see who's back for another season, who the Buckeyes lost and what the expectations will be heading into the Buckeyes' season opener Sept. 3 against Notre Dame.
Today, we take a look at Ohio State's defensive tackles.
2021 recap
A lot of Ohio State's pressure from its defensive line came from the middle in 2021.
For a defense that finished with the third-most sacks in the Big Ten and the 28th-most sacks in the country with 37, the Buckeyes defensive tackles recorded 16.5, including a team-leading 5.5 by redshirt senior Haskell Garrett, who also brought in seven tackles-for-loss.
Last season also brought the emergence of youth in the middle of Ohio State's defensive line with Tyleik Williams playing 12 games as a freshman, recording 6.5 tackles-for-loss and five sacks. But veteran production emerged, from Antwuan Jackson and Taron Vincent's career-best seasons to Jerron Cage's 57-yard scoop-and-score against Penn State.
Even with the amount of pressure in the middle of the line, Ohio State still finished in the middle of the pack in terms of rush defense in the Big Ten, allowing 126.8 yards per game and 3.7 yards per touch — one of eight teams in the conference to allow less than four yards per carry.
2022 outlook
Departing: Haskell Garrett, Antwuan Jackson, Darrion Henry-YoungÂ
While Ohio State is returning many of its key contributors from the middle of its defensive line for 2022, two of its main pieces and usual starters are heading to pursue careers at the next level.
Garrett, a former All-American and All-Big Ten team member, finished his career with 62 tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss and two defensive touchdowns, before sitting out of the Rose Bowl.
Transferring to Ohio State after playing his first two seasons at Blinn College, Jackson emerged as a key piece to the Buckeyes' defensive line in 2021, recording 23 tackles, 4,5 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks, finishing his career with 47 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks in 22 games.
After two seasons with the Buckeyes in which he recorded one sack, Darrion Henry-Young entered the transfer portal after the 2021 season, later committing to Kentucky.
Returning: Taron Vincent, Michael Hall Jr., Ty Hamilton, Jerron Cage, Jaden McKenzie, Tyleik Williams, Bryce Prater, Zach Prater, Jacolbe CowanÂ
Ohio State has that right balance of veterans and young playmakers heading into the 2022 season.
Vincent and Cage will each be the first in line for reps at defensive tackle and nose tackle, while Williams, Michael Hall Jr., who recorded two tackles including 0.5 tackles-for-loss in four games last season, and Ty Hamilton, who recorded 12 tackles and two sacks, playing in each of the Buckeyes' 13 games a season ago.
Incoming: Hero KanuÂ
As Ohio State's only defensive tackle in the 2022 class, Hero Kanu is a project with all the potential in the world.
The 2022 four-star played only two seasons of American high school football after being born in Germany and moving to Rancho Santa Margarita, California. In Kanu, Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson sees a player with the size, strength, explosiveness and energy to make a potential impact for Ohio State.
Kanu may not see the field much as a freshman, though, sitting behind at least five other players at defensive tackle.
Projected starters: Jerron Cage, Taron VincentÂ
For a room that rotates as much as Johnson's defensive line does, "starters" really don't matter much.
Last season, no defensive tackle recorded more than Garrett's 392 snaps, while six different tackles recorded more than 150 snaps for the Ohio State defense.
That being said, the first snaps of the 2022 season will likely go to the two most senior members of the room: Cage and Vincent.
Spring practice storyline to watchÂ
With Vincent and Cage as the main veterans in the middle of Ohio State's defensive line this season, Williams comes in with the highest ceiling of any member of his room.
As a freshman, the former four-star out of Manassas, Virginia, recorded 6.5 tackles-for-loss and five sacks, recording two pass breakups, two quarterback hits and a forced fumble, showing an explosion and a level of comfort from his first snaps with the Buckeyes.
However, the freshman averaged only 13 snaps per game last season, recording more than 20 snaps against Tulsa, Akron and Rutgers.
Heading into his sophomore season, Williams said he was out of shape last season, as a result of having his senior high school season canceled due to COVID-19.
Over the course of the offseason, Williams lost around 40 pounds and came into the spring at around 320 pounds, seeing an uptick in his agility and his durability.
With that, Williams could, over the course of the 2022 season, become the face of the Ohio State defensive line, along with players like Zach Harrison, J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer on the outside.
The potential is sky high for this sophomore, something he is trying to take advantage of this spring.
