3 questions about defense

Today, we look at the defense of the Ohio State football team and the questions that need to be answered.

After looking at three issues of crime yesterday, it is a time of defense for three. As I said yesterday with the infringement, I am not arguing that these are the main issues facing the defense. I’m just not that humble to make that claim. These are simply three things that come to mind on the Ohio State football team.

Can Josh Proctor become the free security of the elite? – After Jordan Fuller had been spoiled for an expensive three years, it was difficult to keep up with the defensive struggle for most of this position last season. Marcus Hooker started the first five games and was almost in charge. When he was injured in the Big Ten Championship against Northwestern, Proctor took the reins and gave the Buckeyes stability in position.

Until then, he had been a secondary Swiss self-described knife of the Swiss Army. He learned all the stations and was used in different roles. He played well enough in the first starting game to stifle the starting work. The hope now is that he will focus on only one position, become a force, and lock the back of OSU’s defense. There has been potential there. Now is the time for him to take full advantage of it.

Do the defensive backs turn and meet in the passing area of ​​the ball? – There may be nothing in football that drives me to the walls more than watching the defensive back game on the back of the ball and handing over the catch when he is able to play. The rationale for the technique has been explained to me, and it still doesn’t make sense.

Yes, the defender has his eyes locked in the receiver and he doesn’t lose him, but he also has no idea where the ball is, and he’s usually treated with a nice view of the receiver that gets caught. This happened all too often last year. I have only seen two Buckeys who are able to play this technique effectively. Denel Ward and, believe it or not, Pete Werner were excellent at it. But overall, the Buckeye defenders have struggled with such coverage. I am a solid defensive defender who gets his head around and locates the ball when it is in the air. You can’t intercept the pass or knock it off if you don’t know where the ball is. If secondary coach Matt Barnes gets them to do so this season, it’s one of the things that will improve the defensive backfield game.

How much influence does JT Tuimoloau make? – Because he waited so long for the commitment and only recently arrived on campus, I was concerned about the time he spent with strength and care coordinator Mickey Marotti. I was unsure if he would be willing to deal with collegial offensive lines. But when I come back and watch more videos of him, I think Tuimoloau is going to be an impressive player in the Buckeye defense. When I look at him, I have to remind myself that he is 277 pounds. He flies around the field like a much lighter player.

To describe him as light-legged and athletic is an understatement. Such a large player who can move like this is a rarity. He reminds me a lot of Chase Young when he first joined the Ohio State football team. The young would fly around the field almost uncontrollably, but you can see the sportiness. The difference is that Young was at that time 245 pounds, Tuimoloau is greater than him more than thirty pounds. I think the development of Tuimoloau this year will be like a freight train moving along a hill. His development is constantly accelerating until he is almost unstoppable. I’m not usually given hyperbolic, but when I look at his size and superior athleticism, I think he’s going to be a force this year.

We have now looked at issues of crime and defense. Tomorrow, we will look at three specific group issues.