While new Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is just getting to know most of his new players, he knows exactly what he’s getting in the Buckeyes’ newest player.
Knowles coached Tanner McCalister for the last four years as Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator, and he clearly believes McCalister can help Ohio State’s defense in 2022. If Knowles didn’t, he wouldn’t have reached out to McCalister as soon as McCalister entered the transfer portal on Dec. 22, leading to McCalister’s commitment two weeks later to play his final season of college football at Ohio State.
While the rest of Ohio State’s defensive players will have to get accustomed to playing for Knowles and learn how to play in a new defensive scheme, McCalister already has four years of experience – including two years as a starter – in a Knowles-led defense, which could give him a leg up on his teammates going into spring practices even though he’ll be playing at a new school.