COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football’s defensive regression in 2020 came as no surprise, considering the abundance of NFL talent lost after the previous season. Should we be so quick to assume the defense will improve in 2021, since another batch of starters are moving on again? Six starters from all three defensive groups are moving on to NFL opportunities. As we discussed on Tuesday’s episode of Buckeye Talk, any one of those departures itself does not leave a crater in the defense. At the same time, a secondary in need of stability lost its most accomplished player in Shaun Wade. A pass rush in need of greater impact lost its most consistent player in Jonathon Cooper. Perhaps most indisputably, a front seven known for stuffing the run lost five players largely responsible for that dominance last season. Defensive tackle Tommy Togiai and linebackers Baron Browning and Pete Werner may…
Continue Reading: Is Ohio State football assured of defensive improvement in 2021?
