Ryan Day once again has an abundance of talent in the trenches.
The Big Ten should have about a dozen offensive and defensive linemen selected in the upcoming NFL draft. In a bit of a rare occurrence, the Buckeyes will not have a touted edge rusher taken in the first few picks. Instead, Justin Fields is Ohio State's draft headliner with some other noteworthy players from the trenches also expecting to be selected in the first few rounds.
Ryan Day isn't the only coach who's losing some talent in the trenches. Several Big Ten programs have some tall tasks ahead as they prepare for the 2021 season. The league's biggest storylines are headlined by its most talented program and some other powers that are searching for new stars.
Ohio State Could Feature Nation's Top Offensive Line
Greg Studrawa lost his two top interior linemen in Wyatt Davis and Josh Myers. The duo will hear their names called in the early rounds of this year's NFL draft. Still, the return of both Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere means that the Buckeyes should once again have the country's top tackle duo and potentially its best offensive line as a whole.
The unit's performance will likely hinge on the three interior spots. Harry Miller is expected to move to center after struggling at times as a first-time starter in 2020. Miller started in place of Josh Myers against Michigan state and had some problems snapping the ball to Justin Fields. The starters at guard are expected to be Paris Johnson Jr. and Matthew Jones. Johnson is the future at left tackle, but Ryan Day confirmed this week that he'll be at guard this spring. Jones was superb as a backup last season and earned champion honors filling in for Miller against Clemson.
Some Lingering Questions for Larry Johnson
The Ohio State defensive line was impressive once again in 2020, but it was a much different look than the Chase Young-led group from 2019. Buckeye pass rushers put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, though the sack numbers weren't quite there with 21 in eight games (2.6 per). Behind Young's record-setting 16.5, the 2019 team recorded 53 sacks in 14 games (3.8 per). Jonathon Cooper is no longer in the picture, but several other Buckeyes have the opportunity to provide the needed pressure off the edge.
Zach Harrison now has every opportunity to live up to his five-star potential. Tyreke Smith has recorded four sacks over the last two seasons, and they'll need more from him in 2021 (though he has provided plenty of pressure). Guys like Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Tyler Friday will also have roles as veterans along the line. And everyone will be watching true freshman Jack Sawyer as the Pickerington native – who was ranked as the country's No. 4 overall prospect – looks to make his presence felt early on in Columbus.
Haskell Garrett is back to anchor the interior part of the line. The biggest storyline at tackle is going to be guys like Antwuan Jackson and Taron Vincent. Jackson has been among the college ranks dating back to 2016 and saw plenty of action spelling Garrett and Tommy Togiai last season. Vincent has battled injuries and hasn't been able to put it all together since his arrival as a five-star in 2018.
PSU Looking to Replace Top Edge Rushers
James Franklin has to replace three starters along the defensive line, but the departures of Jayson Oweh and Shaka Toney leave some especially big holes along the edges. Toney led the team with five sacks last season while Oweh has absurd athleticism and projects as a first or second-round draft pick. To make matters worse, starting defensive tackle (and Westerville native) Antonio Shelton decided to transfer to Florida. He recorded 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2020.
Junior defensive end Adisa Isaac should be a breakout candidate this season, but the Nittany Lions are also relying heavily on the transfer portal. Temple transfer Arnold Ebiketie is expected to start along the edge after leading the Owls in sacks (4), tackles for loss (8.5), and forced fumbles (3) in 2020. Duke transfer Derrick Tangelo should also be a factor on the interior part of the line. Overall, the PSU front will have a much different look and will be lacking in star power for the upcoming season.
Highest-graded edge defenders in Wk 7:
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) October 19, 2020
1. Quincy Roche, Miami - 91.6
2. Arnold Ebiketie, Temple - 89.7
3. Jaelan Phillips, Miami - 87.5
4. Myles Murphy, Clemson - 85.5 pic.twitter.com/3PhEub4Tc6
Top Talent Has Left Ann Arbor, New Star in the Making?
Michigan heads into the spring without its two best players from last season. Kwity Paye is an athletic specimen of a defensive end and will almost surely be drafted in the first round of the upcoming NFL draft. Jalen Mayfield was the Wolverines' top offensive lineman as he too will be an early draft pick. The 2020 season was a forgettable one for the folks in Ann Arbor. Jim Harbaugh's team only played in six games while both Paye and Mayfield battled injuries. Still, they are going to be sorely missed in the trenches.
Defensively, there is at least a bit of good news for Harbaugh and Co. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson suffered a leg injury in the third game against Indiana and would then miss the rest of the season. He surprised some when he elected to return to Michigan rather than head off to the NFL. At 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, Hutchinson had 10.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks as a sophomore in 2019. Getting him back in 2021 is a major boost for Michigan as he looks to take his game to the next level.
For the offensive line, there's not a whole lot of good news as the Wolverines will likely be doing a bit of rotating until they can get things figured out up front. Louisiana Tech grad transfer Willie Allen is now eligible to suit up and is expected to compete for a starting spot somewhere along the line. Allen is 6-foot-6 and 343 pounds and has also had stints at LSU and the JUCO level. Rivals.com listed him as a three-star prospect in the Class of 2016.
| PROGRAM | ALL-CONFERENCE OL/DL RETURNEES |
|---|---|
| Ohio State | Miller, Munford, Petit-Frere, Garrett, Harrison |
| Wisconsin | Logan Bruss (Guard) |
| Penn State | Mike Miranda (Center), Rasheed Walker (OT) |
| Indiana | None |
| Michigan | None |
| Northwestern | Peter Skoronski (OT) |
| Iowa | Tyler Linderbaum (C), Zach VanValkenburg (DE) |
| Maryland | None |
| Nebraska | None |
| Minnesota | Conner Olson (G), Blaise Andries (OT) |
| Purdue | George Karlaftis (DE) |
| Michigan State | None |
| Rutgers | None |
| Illinois | Owen Carney (DE) |
All-American Potential in the West
Per usual, the Big Ten's West Division appears to be far more wide open than the Ryan Day-dominated East. Graham Mertz gives Wisconsin plenty of hope. Pat Fitzgerald has been to Indy in two of the last three seasons. Purdue has two of the league's top wideouts, and we'll see if someone like Scott Frost can finally get things going in the right direction.
Kirk Ferentz loses starting left tackle Alaric Jackson to the NFL, but the Hawkeyes should still have one of America's top lineman in 2021. Tyler Linderbaum arrived at Iowa as a defensive tackle. He's since made the move to offensive line and is now one of the best interior linemen in the nation. Linderbaum spurned the NFL to return for another year of college, and he should be one of the very best in the Big Ten and the country as a redshirt junior.
Northwestern's 2020 season did not feature one particular player who's going to be drafted in the early stages of the first round. Left tackle Rashawn Slater opted out of the season leaving the Wildcats with a hole at left tackle. It's not very often Northwestern signs a five-star prospect, but Pat Fitzgerald did just that with the Class of 2020. Peter Skoronski arrived in Evanston as one of the nation's top offensive line prospects. All he did as a true freshman was replace Slater by starting from day one at left tackle. He's going to be a major name in the Big Ten – and across the country – for the next few seasons.
On the other side of the ball, Jeff Brohm has one of the conference's top talents in West Lafayette. George Karlaftis burst onto the scene as a five-star freshman in 2019 when he recorded 7.5 sacks and was named second-team All-Big Ten. An immediate starter for the Boilermakers, his sophomore season was cut short due to injuries and COVID-19 issues. Karlaftis will be back at it as a junior in 2021 and should once again be one of the league's best defenders.
Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are going to face their share of heavy hitters this year. The team will square off against Purdue and Michigan in November, which means it will be dealing with two of the league's best edge rushers in Karlaftis and Hutchinson. Penn State tackle Rasheed Walker is another player who could present a challenge for Tyreke Smith, Zach Harrison, and the Buckeye pass rush in late October.
Outside of the conference, Ohio State hosts Oregon on Sept. 11. That means one of the country's top pass rushers and a potential top-10 draft pick will be coming to town. Kayvon Thibodeaux was a five-star and top-five overall prospect in the Class of 2019. Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere will have their hands full when the Ducks arrive this fall.
