Scarlet Sunrise: Caden Curry in position to 'play a lot' as sophomore defensive end

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Caden Curry in position to ‘play a lot’ as sophomore defensive end

There’s a chance Ohio State has more than just a dominant defensive end pairing or trio. The Buckeyes have a foursome of disruptive edge rushers who are all in line for notable playing time in 2023.

“We have four ends there that I think are as good as anyone in the country,” said Jim Knowles, now in his second year as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator. “I think the depth there is fantastic. I think you have elite players, you have potentially elite players.

“J.T. [Tuimoloau], Jack [Sawyer], Kenyatta [Jackson], and Caden Curry is just a guy who’s going to show up and make plays. So you got four really good ends. I feel like the rush has been strong. We’ve felt it. We’ve felt it and seen it during camp.”

Don’t forget about Curry.

Tuimoloau and Sawyer are former top-five overall prospects in the 2021 class. Some are already mocking both as first-round picks in next year’s draft. Then there’s Jackson, who enjoyed a head-turning spring season and a productive training camp and, according to head coach Ryan Day, “looks like an NFL player” right now.

But Curry is in that same conversation, according to Knowles. The On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 128 overall prospect in the 2022 cycle, Curry got more run than Jackson last year. After starring at Center Grove in Indiana, Curry enrolled early at Ohio State. That set the stage for an impressive start to his true freshman season.

Curry registered double-digit defensive snaps in five of the Buckeyes’ first seven games of the year, per Pro Football Focus. Along the way, he recorded 11 total tackles, including eight solos, not to mention his success on special teams — most notably, him helping snuff out a fake punt against Iowa.

The rest of the season, though, Curry played just five defensive snaps. Day explained this offseason that Curry “leveled off a bit” down the stretch of 2022. Now stronger, and one year older, Curry is expected to get the necessary snaps that will allow him to return to his playmaking ways.

“Caden’s gonna play a lot,” Knowles said this week. “All along that front, he’s gonna fit I think in different places. Maybe not on run downs. But you gotta be ready for this guy to do anything on pass downs because he plays hard. And he’s hard to handle for the offense.

“So we can come up with different ways to get him on the field, but you’ll see him at regular defensive end on a regular basis. You may see him at other places in pass rush situations.”

Ohio State wants consistency everywhere, but especially on defense. That starts up front.

That said, it helps that the Buckeyes can get big games from more than just one edge rusher. In this case, they believe they have four who can make a difference, week in and week out.

Ohio State has already benefited greatly from tapping portal this offseason

Ohio State took a significantly different approach to the transfer portal this offseason. The Buckeyes were more aggressive than ever, using the portal to not only fill holes but also build depth.

Ohio State has already greatly benefited from that effort. Whether it’s cornerback Davison Igbinosun (Ole Miss) and safety Ja’Had Carter (Syracuse) competing for starting spots or left tackle Josh Simmons (San Diego State) and long snapper John Ferlmann (Arizona State) seemingly locking up first-team roles at this point, the players the Buckeyes brought in have made an immediate impact in Columbus.

The mindset change could be the difference between a good and great Ohio State season. There’s a chance the Buckeyes hit a home run in the portal.

For the full story, go here.

Finally healthy, Julian Fleming has chance to showcase growth through adversity

Everyone talks about Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. But what about Ohio State’s third receiver?

Julian Fleming is expected to fill that role, like he did when healthy last year. His ceiling has been and continues to be dictated by his health. But, after an offseason that featured another labrum surgery, as well as a successful rehab, Fleming is finally 100%.

Fleming arrived at Ohio State as the No. 1 wideout prospect in the 2020 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Since, despite glimpses of his full potential, he hasn’t lived up to that status.

He has grown, however — more than he would have without the obstacles he’s faced.

“There’s no growth without adversity,” Fleming said. “And if you can’t grow through your adversity, then obviously this is not going to be the place for you.”

Head over here for the full story.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 6 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 90 days

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