Jim Knowles shares early impressions of Larry Johnson, Buckeyes defensive line

The Ohio State defensive line has stood out to Jim Knowles in spring practice. The first-year Buckeyes defensive coordinator was highly complimentary of that position group, in particular second-year defensive tackle Tyleik Williams.

Knowles also said working with defensive line and associate head coach Larry Johnson has been a pleasure. In a recent interview after spring practice, Knowles explained how it’s all coming together for the defense.

“I love what Tyleik’s doing,” he said. “I’ll tell you what. He really shows up on tape. Jumps off the film at times. I’ve been really impressed with our D-line. I think having coach Johnson, who I consider the GOAT in that area, and making the transition, that group has been really incredible for us. Just the way they come off the ball is gonna give us an advantage. Our defense looks a lot different in team versus 7-on-7. We compete every day against one of the best offenses in the country. Great quarterback and great receiver group. We need that pass rush and we look a lot different when we have those guys up front. I’ve been very impressed with that whole group.”

Williams has lost more than 40 pounds since he arrive on the Ohio State campus last season. At that time, he weighed 360 pounds after his senior season of high school football was canceled because of COVID. Now he is listed at 315 according to the official Ohio State website.

Williams didn’t play much last season, and he admits it was partly due to his weight. He still impressive with his natural skill as a true freshman, finishing second on the team with five sacks in only 114 pass rushes. With the extra weight now shed, he hoped to make an even bigger impact alongside returning stars JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer.

Talent is only half the battle, however, and luckily Johnson and Knowles have the coaching prowess to develop that talent. The defensive line coach for the Buckeyes since 2014, Johnson has coached nine future NFL players including Chase Young, Nick Bosa and Joey Bosa. Still, last year Ohio State tied for 28th in the FBS in total sacks, and will hope to improve on that number in 2022.

Luckily, Knowles developed a name for himself last year at Oklahoma State, which led the FBS with 57 sacks. The Cowboys ranked among the top rushing defenses in the country, giving up just 87.6 yards per game on the ground.

Williams and the rest of the Buckeyes defensive line will get their first chance to show off the improvement under Jim Knowles at the annual spring game scheduled for April 16.