Pete Werner spent the entirety of last season hearing people openly wonder why he played for Ohio State over Brendon White. Jonathon Cooper was rarely discussed as an impactful defensive end, with conversations tilted toward Zach Harrison and Tyreke Smith. Haskell Garrett, even before he got shot in the face, had everybody projecting Taron Vincent as the team’s next star 3-technique. Tuf Borland has listened to years of nonstop criticism. Tyler Friday gets forgotten about all the time due to his smaller stature in comparison to other edge rushers.
The defensive line, as position coach Larry Johnson told his players ahead of the season, is filled with a “bunch of no-names” trying to replace Chase Young.