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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

(DS#69 ILB) rSr/2023

ILB Palaie Gaoteote IV, Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/16/22 - Kamryn Babb, rSr/2023, Ohio State, 6-0, 210 (DS#999 WR) + More +

2022 PRESEASON WUERFFEL TROPHY (COMMUNITY SERVICE) WATCHLIST: Kam Babb, Ohio State, Jr. WR,...Babb is in his fifth season with the program and has graduated with his degree in communications...He is a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and has two seasons of eligibility...Was voted a team captain by his teammates in the fall of 2021, but missed playing the season because of a knee injury...Also missed the 2018 and 2019 seasons with knee injuries, respectively. - Ohio State Football

(DS#999 WR) rSr/2023

WR Kamryn Babb, Ohio State
News Source: Ohio State Football
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08/15/22 - Kamryn Babb, rSr/2023, Ohio State, 6-0, 210 (DS#999 WR) + More +

Repeated injuries have not diminished Kamryn Babb's leadership capacity with Ohio State football. Even after another torn ACL - his fourth - prematurely ended his 2021 season, Babb was named one of the Buckeye captains. On Saturday, the program bestowed the fifth-year receiver another honor by naming him the "Block O" No. 0 jersey recipient for 2022. "The last five years have been a long journey," Babb said in an OSU news release. "There were times when I was down and had a lot of questions. But God put people in my life who wouldn't let me give up and it's been a blessing. I couldn't have done this without them." Ohio State began the Block O tradition prior to the 2020 season. Defensive end Jonathon Cooper wore the jersey that season. Offensive lineman Thayer Munford, last season's recipient, wore it during warm-ups but could not wear it in games due to NCAA uniform number rules. The honor is designated for a player who displays the same toughness, accountability and character Willis was known for in his career. Babb was an obvious choice. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

(DS#999 WR) rSr/2023

WR Kamryn Babb, Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/14/22 - Dawand Jones, Sr/2023, Ohio State, 6-8, 374 (DS#5 OT) + More +

2022 PRESEASON ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD WATCHLIST: Dawand Jones, Ohio State, Sr OT,...Is a veteran of 28 games played, including 14 starting assignments at right tackle...Played 788 snaps on offense in 2021 to rank third among all players on the team in offensive/defensive snaps...Helped Ohio State's offense rank No. 1 in the nation in total offense (561.5) and scoring offense. - Ohio State Football

(DS#5 OT) Sr/2023

OT Dawand Jones, Ohio State
News Source: Ohio State Football
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08/14/22 - Davison Igbinosun, Sr/2026, Ohio State, 6-2, 189 (DS#15 CB) + More +

Lane Kiffin hasn't relied too heavily on true freshmen in his two years at Ole Miss, but one of the highest-rated prospects he's ever signed looks poised to break that trend this fall. Freshman cornerback Davison Igbinosun enrolled at Ole Miss in January as a four-star recruit from New Jersey. Ranked the No.162 prospect in the 247 Sports composite rankings, Igbinosun was the second-best rated recruit in the Rebels' Class of 2022 and the third-best across the three classes Kiffin has signed in Oxford.

Igbinosun's pedigree matches the rave reviews he's drawn in the first two weeks of preseason practices. Building off a solid spring, Igbinosun has rotated with the first-team defense, using his 6-foot-2 frame and impressive athleticism to earn playing time early in his career. "He really stands out to me as a freshman cornerback," third-year linebacker Austin Keys says. "He came in and he already looked like a vet." Igbinosun's physical tools and instincts are immediately obvious at practice. During one practice he showed the savvy and closing speed to sprint 10 yards with his back turned to intercept a floating pass thrown to a receiver he wasn't responsible for. - The Clarion Ledger

(DS#15 CB) Sr/2026

CB Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State
News Source: The Clarion Ledger
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08/14/22 - *Paris Johnson Jr., rJr/2023, Ohio State, 6-6, 313 (DS#1 OT) + More +

2022 PRESEASON ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD WATCHLIST: Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State, Jr OT,...Johnson Jr. has three seasons of eligibility, including 2022...Started all 13 games at right guard in 2021 but will move over to tackle in 2022...Earned second-team all-Big Ten honors in 2021 by the conference coaches, third-team by the media...Is a veteran of 18 games played and 13 starts. - Ohio State Football

(DS#1 OT) rJr/2023

OT *Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
News Source: Ohio State Football
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08/14/22 - *Paris Johnson Jr., rJr/2023, Ohio State, 6-6, 313 (DS#1 OT) + More +

Paris Johnson said new offensive line coach Justin Frye arrived with a plan to facilitate his transition back outside. After an entire season at guard with help on either side, he now had to adjust to being the last bastion of quarterback C.J. Stroud's uprightness. Ohio State's 2021 playoff hopes ended when it could not sufficiently repel Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. As offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said back in the spring, the 2022 season would be defined in part by how well OSU fared in its next matchup with elite edge rushers. Frye said he has been most impressed by Johnson's mental approach, particularly his ability to efficiently synthesize information. "He pushes it right to the peak," Frye said. "He wants to be great. He wants to have all the information. He wants to gather it all. "His biggest thing that he's learning right now - and he's doing an unbelievable job - is like, 'I don't need to like look for everything. Just work my way to the right answer, to the tools, the technique, whatever the front may be."...Because he wants to learn the way to get there, as opposed to being omniscient."

How much is Johnson enjoying pass protection drills right now? His face lights up when he describes it as being "like high school." His dominance for Cincinnati's St. Xavier and Princeton back then had some calling him OSU's best offensive line prospect since Orlando Pace - who is perhaps the best left tackle in college football history. Johnson has been studying a more contemporary offensive line star: Alabama product Evan Neal, who enters his second year with the New York Giants. Neal also spent a year at guard before moving back to tackle. Against certain looks and when facing particular pass-rush moves, Johnson said his guard technique comes in handy and looks "really smooth." On the other hand, he left the aggressive mindset he needed at guard behind. "That patience is really crucial, and having a calm mind, so you can see everything,' Johnson said. "When you're angry, when you're aggressive, your vision is very narrow." - Cleveland Plain Dealer

(DS#1 OT) rJr/2023

OT *Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/13/22 - Zach Harrison, Sr/2023, Ohio State, 6-6, 269 (DS#10 DE) + More +

2022 PRESEASON ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD WATCHLIST: Zach Harrison, Ohio State, Sr DE,...Harrison is the most experienced defensive end on the roster with 33 games played and 14 starting assignments...The current team leader with 17.5 tackles-for-loss and 9.5 quarterback sacks...A team captain in 2021 who had a fine year with 8.0 TFLs, 4.0 sacks, four pass break-ups, two forced fumbles and two quarterback hurries. - Ohio State Football

(DS#10 DE) Sr/2023

DE Zach Harrison, Ohio State
News Source: Ohio State Football
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08/12/22 - *Paris Johnson Jr., rJr/2023, Ohio State, 6-6, 313 (DS#1 OT) + More +

Paris Johnson Jr. was a five-star recruit in the 2020 recruiting class, while Dawand Jones has been the 2019 class' ultimate hidden gem. Together the two give Ohio State football what might be the best offensive tackle tandem in the country. Jones returns for his second year as the Buckeyes' starting right tackle after dropping 10 pounds, hoping to raise his draft stock by showing off his improved ability as a pass protector. "From last year, I feel way better" Jones said. "I feel faster, a little bit healthier I would say." Johnson was always destined to be OSU's left tackle but spent last year having to play right guard.

Now the question is whether the former top 10 recruit can turn himself into a first-round draft pick even if he's only played tackle at the college level for one season. "He's been awesome," center Luke Wypler said of Johnson. "It's been really cool to see how he's taken the things he learned at right guard and moving out to tackle. From a pass game standpoint ... he's big, strong and athletic. His in space is lethal." Ohio State's offensive line has a high ceiling, and that starts at its tackles spots, where Johnson and Jones will be tasked with keeping C.J. Stroud clean. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

(DS#1 OT) rJr/2023

OT *Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/12/22 - *Luke Wypler, rSo/2023, Ohio State, 6-3, 303 (DS#2 C) + More +

As he prepares for his second year as a starter, expectations are high. Asked how good Luke Wypler can be, Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye replied, "Elite. The best. No. 1." "The biggest thing with him is he loves ball," Frye said. "It's really important to him. He wants to know the why. And then he's got a little gruffness to him. Toughness, that's also a skill set, and that's one of his (best) qualities, too. Whether we're asking him to reach-block, back-block, pull, if you have toughness on top of wanting to do it and know what you're doing, then you're going to play at a high level." His linemates clearly look to Wypler for leadership and guidance.

"Luke is definitely the heartbeat of our O-line," left guard Donovan Jackson said. "He knows what everyone does from right to left tackle. If you ever have a question, you're like, 'Luke, what is it?' and he'll tell you in under a second." That hasn't happened by accident. He describes his in-season hobbies as working out and studying film. "I've been that way since high school," said Wypler, who is from Montvale, New Jersey, where he dabbled in plenty of adventures. "My sophomore in high school, I really just accepted the grind of it. It's something I really enjoy. I'm like a little kid that gets to play at what he loves to do." - Columbus Dispatch

(DS#2 C) rSo/2023

C *Luke Wypler, Ohio State
News Source: Columbus Dispatch
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08/12/22 - Cody Simon, rSr/2025, Ohio State, 6-2, 232 (DS#7 ILB) + More +

Cody Simon gutted it out as long as he could last year. The Ohio State linebacker played the 2021 season with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, feeling a responsibility to his teammates to do what he could on a struggling defense. But after the Michigan game, he realized that enough was enough. He had surgery and missed the Rose Bowl and was limited in spring practice in hopes of being ready for his junior season in 2022. Simon watched the game from the sideline in Pasadena with a sling to protect his right shoulder. "It hurt to not play in that Rose Bowl," he said. "Guys are struggling every day. Bowl practice is really important, and they're grinding every day. To not be able to be out there with them was tough. But at some point, you know when it's gone too far (to keep playing)." Taking the long-term view appears to have worked out. Simon, who finished fourth on the team in tackles last year with 54, pronounced himself fully healthy on Tuesday. "It's been a long road, but through the whole offseason, I've been rehabbing it," he said. "The summer was really important for me, and I got a lot stronger." - Columbus Dispatch

(DS#7 ILB) rSr/2025

ILB Cody Simon, Ohio State
News Source: Columbus Dispatch
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08/11/22 - Dawand Jones, Sr/2023, Ohio State, 6-8, 374 (DS#5 OT) + More +

Dawand Jones was holding a plank during a weightlifting workout earlier this summer when the Ohio State strength and conditioning staff put a 35-pound plate on his back. The placement added a layer of difficulty to the abs exercise, but it also served as a reminder for the Buckeyes' big right tackle. Carrying extra weight on his body is tough. While Jones held the plank for 40 seconds as instructed by strength guru Mickey Marotti, it left him exhausted.

The instance is a snapshot of one of Jones' biggest offseason emphasis. Since last season, the 6-foot-8 tackle has slimmed down, losing about 10 pounds. After his weight surpassed 370 pounds last fall, Jones said he has dropped down to 364 pounds. "When you're heavier, it takes a toll on you," Jones said. "It's like everything is slower. Your body moves slower. You move slow." A lot of his strides have come over the past three months. Following a break in May at the end of the spring semester, Jones felt a renewed focus for the summer's strength and conditioning program. "I just told myself I've got to attack the workouts with a different mindset," he said. "It's paying off." The weight loss wasn't owed to a dramatic change in diet. Jones said he largely reduced the portion sizes of meals. "I definitely cut down on some stuff," he said. - Columbus Dispatch

(DS#5 OT) Sr/2023

OT Dawand Jones, Ohio State
News Source: Columbus Dispatch
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08/11/22 - *C.J. Stroud, rSo/2023, Ohio State, 6-3, 214 (DS#1 QB) + More +

After a year's absence from the playoff, Ohio State football will again open the 2022 season in the conversation for the nation's best team. The Buckeyes received five first-place votes and are ranked No. 2 in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll. Alabama was the overwhelming No. 1 with 54 first-place votes. Defending national champion and No. 3 Georgia received six first-place votes. Texas, ranked No. 18 overall, received the other first-place vote. The Associated Press preseason top 25 poll will be released on Aug. 15. Clemson, Notre Dame and Michigan rounded out the top six in the coaches poll. The Fighting Irish and Wolverines headline the six teams ranked among the top 27 vote-getters who appear on OSU's regular-season schedule. The others are No. 14 Michigan State, No. 20 Wisconsin and Iowa and Penn State, who were the top two teams also receiving votes who did not make the top 25. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

(DS#1 QB) rSo/2023

QB *C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/09/22 - Gee Scott Jr., rSr/2025, Ohio State, 6-3, 238 (DS#7 FB) + More +

Gee Scott Jr.'s transformation from a big wide receiver to a legitimate tight end body appears to be complete. He is listed at 6-3, 235 pounds and looks it. Offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Kevin Wilson has talked up Scott's pound-for-pound strength in the past, but the remaining goal was working on his blocking skill. The more progress he shows there in the preseason, the more he may play this fall. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

(DS#7 FB) rSr/2025

FB Gee Scott Jr., Ohio State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/09/22 - *Ronnie Hickman, rJr/2023, Ohio State, 6-1, 209 (DS#6 FS) + More +

Over March and April, it left Knowles with a glimpse of the potential of Proctor, who enters his fifth season with the Buckeyes on the cusp of his biggest role. "He's a guy that can really change the game," Knowles said. "He's what we want at safety." Proctor, who was a part-time starter at free safety in 2020 before being sidelined for most of last season, is likely to be at another spot in the secondary. That's at the boundary safety position known as the "bandit," while Ronnie Hickman steps into the free safety spot as the "adjustor." Tanner McCalister, who followed Knowles in transferring from Oklahoma State, is the favorite to step in as the slot safety, forming the potential trio of starting safeties.

The role for Hickman comes with a lot of responsibilities. Positioned in the middle of the field, he'll cover a lot of safety. And as the nickname suggest, he'll make his share of adjustments to the defense before the snap based on looks from the offense. Hickman said he is prepared for it after lining up in a safety-linebacker hybrid role a year ago. "It's just going out there and being the best teammate I can be for my brothers," Hickman said. "Just like they would do the same. I'm going to do that for them. So I don't really see it as a burden or something I got to carry or something like that. It's going out there and being a teammate with my guys." The three safeties are all veterans with Hickman preparing for his fourth season, and Proctor and McCalister in their fifth seasons. - Columbus Dispatch

(DS#6 FS) rJr/2023

FS *Ronnie Hickman, Ohio State
News Source: Columbus Dispatch
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