It is fair to state that the Buckeye defense struggled in 2021. Most notably in the losses to Oregon and Michigan, the defense failed to generate any semblance of a consistent pass rush that has been a staple for Ohio State the last decade.

Despite putting up decent team sack numbers, 36 to be exact, the Buckeyes have not had an elite pass rusher since the departure of Chase Young. Under current defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs the silver bullets are ranked No. 50 nationally in total defense.

Enter current Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Under Knowles the Cowboys had one of the most dominant defenses in college football utilizing a 4-2-5 scheme. Only Wisconsin and Georgia ranked higher in total defense than Oklahoma State in 2021.

Generating a pass rush was a specialty for Oklahoma State as the unit ranked No. 1 in the nation with 55 sacks. Under the 4-2-5 scheme, Knowles utilized a standup edge rusher. Brock Martin, who primarily played that position for the Cowboys under Knowles, had a breakout 2021 season recording seven sacks. Martin, a former three-star recruit, measures in at 6′ 3″, 250 lbs.

There is no denying Martin has had an excellent college career for a three-star recruit, but it will be interesting to see what Knowles does with a plethora of talent at Ohio State. The question is who on Ohio State’s roster is an ideal edge rusher in that 4-2-5 scheme?

The obvious answer that has been mentioned all over the internet is Jack Sawyer. At 6′ 4″, 240 lbs, and already a natural sack machine, Sawyer compares physically to Martin. That fit seems almost too perfect.

However, there is still plenty of other worthy players on this Ohio State roster who could step into this role. One player that makes a ton of sense is Javontae Jean-Baptiste. The former four-star recruit measures in 6′ 5″, 253 lbs which is slightly larger than Sawyer or Martin.

Additionally, Jean-Baptiste has played snaps in multiple games this season where he has been a standup defensive end. It is feasible that Knowles could move Sawyer inside and could utilize Jean-Baptiste as a pass rushing weapon in 2022.

Finally, the biggest wild card of the group is Zach Harrison. Measuring in at 6′ 6″, 268 lbs Harrison is an athletic freak that has been timed at running a 4.47 40-yard dash. Harrison’s NFL decision remains up in the air, but there is no denying he could thrive in that position given the chance.

Between Sawyer, Jean-Baptiste, and Harrison the Buckeyes will have plenty of options at that edge position. The question is can Knowles succeed in finding the right player for his defense?