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  With the exception of an occasional stand-up pass rusher, Larry Johnson built his menacing Ohio State football defensive fronts with a standard four down lineman approach. New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles brought with him a new wrinkle for that front - a hybrid defensive end/linebacker position known either as the Jack or the Leo. Instead of attacking only off the edge, that player can float around the defensive line in Knowles' attempt to create confusion. Johnson said Tuesday that defensive ends Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Jack Sawyer and linebacker Palaie Gaoteote IV are the three players primarily training for that position.

That oversight falls to him - an evolution he said he has enjoyed. "I like the new tool," Johnson said. "I like what we're doing right now defensively. I think coach Knowles has got a great system, and I like how he's allowed the guys who have the ability to play and use their ability, and I think that's cool. I think that's what defense is all about." All three players make sense as potential Jacks considering the combination of mobility, spatial awareness and strength necessary for Jack duties. Jean-Baptiste straddled the line between outside linebacker and defensive end as a high school prospect in New Jersey. Sawyer, while always considered a more conventional edge rusher, was also athletically versatile enough to play quarterback for his Pickerington North High School team. Gaoteote was a top 15, five-star prospect who began his career at USC and transferred to Ohio State last season. - Cleveland Plain Dealer


rSr/2023 ILB Palaie Gaoteote IVOhio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer



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