“We talk about it all the time. We can be and we will be the best D-line in the nation — the best tandem, the best triplets, whatever you want to call it.”
- Chase Young via Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
The hype surrounding sophomore defensive end Chase Young has been tremendous since the moment he suited up in the Scarlet and Gray. When he first hit the field last season, it was obvious that Young was going to be a major player for the Buckeyes in seasons to come, just based off his sheer size and speed alone. That starts in 2018, and Young seems ready for the challenge. With a defensive line unit that should once again boast some of the best talent in the country, Young looks to be a leader alongside Nick Bosa as Ohio State tries to return to the College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes did lose quite a bit of talent on the defensive line, including Sam Hubbard and Tyquan Lewis. But the reality is that Urban Meyer was prepared and has the defensive line ready to be reloaded with Bosa, Young, Jonathon Cooper, Jashon Cornell, and a handful of other players. Though Clemson has the strongest argument for the best defensive line in the country, don’t sleep on Ohio State’s young line.
“[First-Team All-Americans] Defensive lineman Nick Bosa”
The Sporting News released its preseason All-Americans, and Ohio State was pretty well-represented on the list. Nick Bosa made the first-team at defensive line, and has probably the best chance to make the real list at the end of the season. Bosa had eight and a half sacks last season, in addition to 16 tackles for loss. The competition at defensive line is fierce this season, so Bosa is no shoo-in. But if he’s anything like his older brother (all signs point to that being the case) it shouldn’t be too much trouble to put up numbers or at least wreak havoc on the opposing team’s offensive line.
Bosa was the only Buckeye among the first team, however, a couple more members of Ohio State made the second team. Among them were running back J.K. Dobbins and offensive lineman Michael Jordan. Dobbins will likely be sharing the carries with Mike Weber who is also coming off a strong season. Both running backs have rushed for over 1,000 yards on their own in different seasons, which should be a nightmare for defenses to key in on.
“[Top 50 Ohio State football players for 2018] No. 21: Johnnie Dixon”
- Tim Bielik, Cleveland.com
The folks over at Cleveland.com are breaking down their top 50 Ohio State football players for the upcoming season and the list continued on with wide receiver Johnnie Dixon.
Dixon made the list at 21st overall, which is a step up for him from last season, where was ranked 37th overall. The redshirt senior was extremely sought after in high school but due to injuries, his first three years at Ohio State didn’t quite go as planned. Dixon didn’t see much of the field until last season when he finally was healthy, and it paid off, since he led the team in receiving touchdowns with eight, and became a vital part of the aerial attack. His speed helps separate him from a lot of the defensive backs, and he’s shown a knack for making big plays when it matters the most. Just go back and watch the Penn State game for proof.
In all, Dixon took a chance on himself to give himself another year with the Buckeyes and it worked out. Now he’ll look to expand his role in his final season in the scarlet and gray. With Dwayne Haskins at quarterback, he might see an increased role in the offense as well, with Hasksins’ ability to sling the ball around a lot more.
STICK TO SPORTS
- Cloudy with a chance of Ikea meatballs.
- In case you haven’t already noticed, Instagram will now tell you when you’ve seen all posts from the past two days.
- Self-driving cars are headed towards an AI roadblock.