On3 Roundtable: Ohio State defense getting back to recruiting elite linemen

Ohio State landed a commitment recently and you can say it’s literally huge. Five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott pledged to the Buckeyes, choosing to play under Larry Johnson instead of the likes of Michigan or Notre Dame. Getting a recruiting win over rivals is fun but adding elite interior linemen is arguably even more fun.

Lettermen Row‘s Tim May joined the On3 Roundtable to discuss Scott’s pledge, singing the praises of Larry Johnson. The Ohio State defensive line coach has been in the game for a long time, being in Columbus since 2014. Even as Johnson’s age reaches the 70s, recruits are still wanting to play for him.

“Larry Johnson is considered the GOAT in a lot of areas when it comes to coaching defensive lineman,” May said. “That has paid off again for Ohio State. The old idea in recruiting is it’s not over until the big lineman talks. (Scott) sang and it stunned a lot of people, I think. Not Larry Johnson because I think he felt pretty good about it.”

The last time Ohio State landed an interior defensive lineman the caliber of Scott was back in the 2021 recruiting cycle. J.T. Tuimoloau was a late — emphasis on late — addition to the class and made his presence known by his sophomore season. How could you forget the Penn State performance in Happy Valley?

Landing those individual big-bodied linemen is always a positive. However, stacking is how programs are able to sustain success and win national championships. An example is unfolding right in front of our eyes, with the Georgia Bulldogs.

“A quality, premium, big-time interior defensive lineman is the hardest thing to find,” May said. “More than a quarterback. Those are the guys getting the big NIL deals… Those guys become the fulcrum of a defense. Because if you got a guy disrupting… it changes everything both for your defense and the offense. A guy like Jalen Carter. His first step was ridiculous. They are the big disruptors, especially against the spread offenses.”

If you need further proof of how important iDL is for Ohio State, look at the past two Michigan games. The Wolverines have averaged 274.5 yards in the wins and have nine total touchdowns. Johnson has to beep up his defensive line to compete with the back-to-back Joe Moore Award winners.

Getting a guy like Scott is fantastic. Ohio State also leads for Buford (GA) High School five-star DL Eddrick Houston on the On3 RPM at 88%. If both wind up signing with the Buckeyes — two major wins for the new era of the Buckeyes’ defensive line.