When Ryan Day met with reporters in July at Big Ten Media Days, Ohio State was in a bit of a rut on the recruiting trail on the defensive side of the ball.
The Buckeyes had recently missed out on several top defensive targets, including Caleb Downs and Tackett Curtis, among others. Of course, Ohio State underwent a massive restructuring of its defense following a poor showing in 2021, highlighted by the hiring of defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson was the lone holdover from last season’s defensive coaching staff, so there was lots of uncertainty surrounding the defensive side of the ball heading into the season.