Scarlet Sunrise: PFF ranks Ohio State defensive line best in the country ahead of 2024 season

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PFF ranks Ohio State defensive line best in the country ahead of 2024 season

Summer is underway, and so are Pro Football Focus’ preseason position group rankings. PFF’s Max Chadwick ranked the top-10 defensive lines in the country, and Ohio State’s is at the top of the list.

“Ohio State saw three defensive linemen return to Columbus for their senior campaigns despite the fact that all three would’ve likely been selected on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft. That includes edge defenders Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, who were the only pair of edges to make my top-10 list. 

“Tyleik Williams was one of my top-five returning interior defensive linemen after tying for fourth in the Power Five with 26 run-defense stops last year. Ty Hamilton will likely start alongside him and posted a 76.4 grade on 350 snaps in 2023.”

Max Chadwick, PFF

It’s hard to argue with Chadwick’s Ohio State D-Line ranking, but you can even make the case that defensive ends Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau could have been Day 1 selections this year. Five defensive ends heard their names called in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and, with strong NFL Combine performances, it’s not out of the question both Sawyer and Tuimoloau would have found their way into the top-32 pick range.

Sawyer, in particular, finished the 2023 season on a high note. He piled up 16 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and five sacks over the final three games of the year. The Pickerington North High School product tied off that run by matching the Ohio State bowl record with three sacks in the Cotton Bowl. Meanwhile, Tuimoloau wrapped last season with the most tackles (38), sacks (5.0) and, per PFF, pressures generated (37) — as many as Sawyer, by the way — as well as defensive snaps (677) of his three-year stay with the Buckeyes.

Together, Sawyer and Tuimoloau headline a menacing Buckeyes defensive line, which is imposing both inside and out. The interior duo of Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton gets less attention but is equally as intriguing, and important.

Williams broke out in 2023, mounting 54 total tackles. For reference, he combined for 37 his first two years at Ohio State. Last year, he also tallied 10.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and five passes defended, plus a fumble recovery for a touchdown while shattering his career for defensive snaps with 645, per PFF.

Similarly, Hamilton more than doubled his previous career high for total tackles, notching 38 on the year, and surged at the end of the 2023 campaign. He logged 19 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, two sacks and, per PFF, five pressures over the final five games.

And those are just the projected starters on the Buckeyes’ defensive front. Longtime D-Line coach Larry Johnson has a special group, and that’s reflected in Chadwick’s defensive line rankings. Here’s his complete top 10:

1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. Miami
4. Georgia
5. Ole Miss
6. Notre Dame
7. Penn State
8. Texas
9. Clemson
10. Oregon

Five questions for Buckeyes top-notch defensive line

Lettermen Row “Offensive Line Week” is in the past, and “Defensive Line Week” is here. A jam-packed seven days of discussion about both the Ohio State defensive ends and defensive tackles has already started.

We kicked off our Buckeyes D-Line coverage by unpacking five questions facing the position group ahead of the 2024 season.

The first is a bit of a no-brainer: How good can defensive ends Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau be in their senior seasons? They’ve each taken over games before, with Tuimoloau notably helping the Buckeyes win two top-10 games last year and Sawyer showing out in an otherwise forgettable Cotton Bowl. Whether they can take another step forward is the real test.

For more of our analysis and the four remaining questions, head on over here.

What commitment of Zion Grady means for Ohio State

Four-star Troy (Ala.) Enterprise EDGE Zion Grady committed to the Buckeyes Monday, one day after his official visit at Ohio State.

Grady is the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 79 overall prospect in the 2025 class. Buckeyes defensive line coach Larry Johnson now has three EDGE commits this cycle: Grady, Zahir Mathis and London Merritt — all three are top-160 prospects, per the On3 Industry Ranking.

Lettermen Row is breaking down Grady’s commitment and what it means for the Buckeyes. Check it out here.

RELATED

• The Big Board: Remaining defensive line targets for Ohio State after Zion Grady’s commitment
• A-Deck: Predicting the Ohio State class of 2025 following summer official visits

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 67 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 158 days

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