The Ohio State roster is often so talent rich from one position group to the next that a certain player might fly under the radar for three or four years before one season of flash success launches them to prosperity at the next level.

Even if they don’t reach the highest level of football achievement, there are Buckeyes at each position that could be an X-factor, a playmaker or an instrumental cog for Ohio State heading into the new season that won’t get credit for their potential role until after the fact.

We are trying to highlight those players this week by identifying Buckeyes that the general public may be sleeping on at every position.

On Monday we broke down the sleepers on the Ohio State offense, but today we’re delving into the defense, where the departure of a litany of stars from a year ago has left open a world of possibilities for relative unknowns to emerge from obscurity in 2020.