Caleb Downs highlights the Buckeyes’ few returnees on defense in 2025.
Now that the dust has settled on Ohio State’s national championship celebrations, it is as good a time as any to take a way-too-early look ahead at the 2025 Buckeyes. We’ve already broken down the offensive side of the ball, so today we’ll turn our sights towards the defense.
Ryan Day was tasked this offseason with replacing defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. After spending three years in Columbus helping to build what ultimately became a national title-winning defense, Knowles decided to take his talents to Happy Valley and accept the same position at Penn State. In his place, Day has hired longtime New England Patriots assistant Matt Patricia, who was on staff for three Super Bowl victories.
While we still have a long ways to go before the first depth charts are put together, here is how we think the starting lineup will look on defense as we project ahead to Aug. 30.
LE: Caden Curry
DT1: Kayden McDonald
DT2: Eddrick Houston
RE: Kenyatta Jackson
Depth: CJ Hicks, Logan George, Tywone Malone, Jason Moore
Ohio State has to replace its entire starting defensive line this season, with both ends in J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer as well as both tackles in Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton now off to the NFL. Sawyer, Tuimoloau and Hamilton each played at least 664 snaps in 2024, with Williams right behind them at 583. That core four combined for 27.5 sacks and 45 tackles for loss in 2024, and no other defensive lineman played more than 314 snaps behind them.
Needless to say, that is a lot of production and a ton of snaps to fill moving forward.
Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson are the heir apparent at both end spots, as the two were the primary backups to Sawyer and Tuimoloau the past few years. Jackson played the most snaps of any non-starting DL in 2024 with 314, while Curry was next in line at 229. Both members of the 2022 recruiting class, the rising seniors have shown flashes of their talent at different points in their careers, but will be expected to take a big step up now thrust into starting roles.
Ohio State brought in Logan George from the FCS ranks to help supplement at defensive end, with the former Idaho State standout recording 19.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks over 12 starts this past season. CJ Hicks will also likely move down from his linebacker spot to more of a true edge-rusher, a position that would suit him best and make the greatest use of his abilities on the field.
Eddrick Houston and Kayden McDonald also haven’t played major roles to this point, but each looked great in reserve roles down the stretch in 2024. Houston is a former five-star defensive end who saw the field a bunch for a freshman even after switching positions from the edge to the interior, while McDonald was part of some key stops as a big body up the middle. Behind them, Jason Moore and Tywone Malone will provide solid depth.
MIKE LB: Arvell Reese
SAM LB: Sonny Styles
Ohio State had a stellar linebacker duo in Cody Simon and Sonny Styles, and with Simon now off to the NFL, there are some big shoes to fill for Arvell Reese.
The rising junior played a bunch for the Buckeyes earlier in the season as the defense was still getting its footing and Knowles was utilizing a lot more three-linebacker sets, but playing time became hard to come by once Caleb Downs moved into the box. Reese still finished with the third-most snaps at the position (307), but it was way less than both Simon (797) and Styles (894). When he was on the field, Reese showcased his abilities as a sure tackler and a dynamic athlete.
Styles’ 2024 campaign started off a bit rocky, but he was one of the most improved players on that side of the ball by season’s end. The former five-star is due for a big 2025 in what will be his second full season at the position after moving down from safety. Even with a transition period early on, Styles finished the year second to only Simon on Ohio State with 100 total tackles, adding 11 tackles for loss, six sacks and five pass breakups.
CB1: Jermaine Mathews Jr.
CB2: Davison Igbinosun OR Devin Sanchez
Nickel: Bryce West OR Aaron Scott OR Sanchez
Ohio State loses Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock to the NFL, but it brings back almost everyone else from a deep and talented cornerbacks room. That includes starting corner Davison Igbinosun, who elected to return to Columbus rather than go pro, and Jermaine Mathews Jr., who played a ton in a rotational role in the College Football Playoff.
When Igbinsonun isn’t being flagged for pass interference, he is a legitimate stud. The former Ole Miss transfer made a number of big plays for the Buckeyes this past season, including a crucial interception in the end zone against Penn State. Igbinosun really needs to cut down on the penalties in 2025, though, or his spot in the starting rotation will be in serious jeopardy — especially with all the guys behind him itching to get on the field.
Mathews Jr. will slide in and take over for Burke after playing the third-most snaps (395) of any outside corner for Ohio State in 2024 behind only Iggy (807) and Burke (717). The rising junior earned real and important reps in his sophomore campaign, playing more than 40 snaps in a trio of contests, including twice in the CFP against both Oregon and Texas. The former top-50 prospect has all the makings of the next elite Buckeye cornerback.
The slot position, formerly manned by Hancock, is one of the most interesting spots on the field for this version of Ohio State’s defense. Much of what Hancock did for the Silver Bullets didn’t show up in the stat sheet, but his presence in the secondary was invaluable. Now, that spot will got to an almost totally unproven — albeit talented — player, whether that be incoming five-star freshman Devin Sanchez or a pair of highly-touted sophomores in Bryce West or Aaron Scott, who each played less than 80 snaps this past season.
FS: Caleb Downs
SS: Malik Hartford OR Jaylen McClain
The one position on defense Ohio State knows it won’t have to worry even a little bit is at free safety, where Caleb Downs returns as one of if not the best player in the country. Downs did a little bit of everything for the Buckeyes in 2024, manning the middle of the field in almost a hybrid linebacker/safety position built specifically for him. With Downs entrenched in the center of Ohio State’s defense, teams were unable to scheme away from him, and he caused havoc from sideline to sideline all season long.
Opposite Downs will be one of two fresh faces, with his former counterpart Lathan Ransom now off to the NFL. Ransom’s production will certainly not be easy to replace, but Matt Guerrieri has a pair of talented guys in his room ready to compete for the job in Malik Hartford and Jaylen McClain.
Neither safety seems to have the upper-hand heading into the offseason, playing similar snaps with Hartford at 94 and McClain at 106. Both players got valuable reps in the CFP against Tennessee, playing 12 snaps apiece against the Vols, with Hartford getting into one additional CFP game with his one single snap against Texas. We haven’t seen much of either guy in anything resembling meaningful game action to this point, so this will be one of a few big position battles this spring.