You decide: Ohio State football’s all-decade defensive tackle

The 2010s are coming to an end and we can’t help but reminisce about the memories that the decade brought with it— a national championship, four Big Ten titles, four head coaches, and some of the best to ever wear the scarlet and gray.

To wrap up the decade, we want to hear from you about who you think should comprise the Ohio State Buckeyes’ All-Decade team. From now until the end of the year, we will be going position by position and giving you the candidates so that you can decide who receives this honor more prestigious than a tree in Buckeye Grove, a pair of gold pants, or a ring so big that you have to carry a 10 pound weight in the other hand just to stay balanced.

You’ll be able to vote in the positional articles through Dec. 30 at 12 noon ET, and on Twitter for one week after the poll goes up. Keep in mind that since we are conducting part of the voting on Twitter, we are limited to just four options per position, so this is going to be tough!

Once all the votes are in for every position, we’ll reveal the final All-Decade roster on the final day of the 2010s.

Next up: Defensive tackle. Here are your candidates:

Johnathan Hankins (2010-2012)

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Johnathan Hankins made an impact on the field as soon as he stepped foot in Columbus. He saw time in all 13 games as a true freshman, making 16 tackles and one sack. Hankins started every game in his sophomore and junior seasons, and appeared in 38 games over his career at Ohio State. He finished with 138 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks.

Following his 2012 junior season, he received first-team All-Big Ten and first-team All-American honors.

Hankins was drafted by the New York Giants in the 2nd round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and currently plays for the Oakland Raiders.

Michael Bennett (2011-2014)

Photo by David Dermer/Diamond Images/Getty Images

Michael Bennett was a leader for the Buckeyes on and off the field during his time in Columbus. Known as one of Urban Meyer’s most trusted players, Bennett’s leadership qualities were often praised by other players and the coaching staff throughout his time at OSU.

Like Hankins, Bennett played in all 13 games as a true freshman, recording 17 tackles and three sacks. Despite being limited due to an injury in 2012, Bennett finished his four-year run at Ohio State with 110 tackles (61 solo), 31.5 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, 4 pass breakups, 7 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries.

He was a team captain during Ohio State’s 2014 National Championship run and earned first-team All-American honors and second-team All-Big Ten for his efforts that year.

Bennett was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft and now plays for the Atlanta Falcons.

Adolphus Washington (2012-2015)

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

There’s no doubt that Adolphus Washington was instrumental in getting Ohio State to the national championship in 2015. That season, he started all 15 games, recorded 48 tackles, 4.5 sacks, three pass breakups, and one forced fumble. During the championship game itself, he made three tackles and a sack. Washington finished his career with 142 total tackles (71 solo), 25 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 interception, and 1 touchdown.

Washington was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round in the 2016 NFL Draft. He currently plays for the Miami Dolphins.

Dre’mont Jones (2015-2018)

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Dre’mont Jones finished an incredible career at Ohio State in 2018 by being named a first-team All-American by College Football News and first-team All-Big Ten.

Jones started for the Buckeyes since game No. 2 of his freshman season. He joined Dan Wilkinson and Luke Fickell as the only freshmen defensive linemen to start 10 or more games in a season. That year, Jones racked up 52 total tackles, including four for loss. He earned Freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America.

Jones finished his career with 114 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 4 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, and 3 fumble recoveries. He also became the first Ohio State defensive lineman to score two touchdowns in one season, returning an interception 28 yards for a TD against TCU and later recovering a fumble in the end zone vs. Michigan State in 2018.

Jones was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. As a rookie this season, most notably, Jones has sacked Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and intercepted a pass from Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

Remember, since we are limited to four options on Twitter polls, some other great Buckeyes will get left out of some of these polls. If you want to tell us how wrong we are for leaving your favorite player out, or if you want to make your case for one of the candidates, please feel free to do so in the comments below!

Which Buckeye defensive tackle should be on Ohio State’s All-Decade team?