Ohio State received a very pleasant surprise at the end of last season when defensive ends Tyquan Lewis, Jalyn Holmes and Sam Hubbard all announced their intentions to return to school. All three were NFL Draft eligible, but all three opted to hold off for at least one more season in hopes of getting Ohio State back to the College Football Playoff.
When that happened, it became abundantly clear what the strength of the 2017 team was going to be: The Buckeyes were going to be loaded at defensive end.
And on Tuesday, following Ohio State's ninth spring practice, Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer certainly didn't mince his words when asked about the position.
"We'll be as good as anybody in America at defensive end," Meyer said.
Frankly, it's hard to argue when you glance at Ohio State's depth chart at the position. There aren't too many teams around who have players the caliber of Lewis, Holmes, Hubbard and Nick Bosa.
Lewis is the reigning Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. He's set to enter his fifth season with the Buckeyes and his third as a starter. Last year, the Tarboro, North Carolina, native recorded team highs with eight sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
Bosa, who will be a sophomore this fall, ranked second on the team last season with five sacks. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native also recorded seven tackles for loss. Hubbard had 3.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss; Holmes finished with two sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. All four see time on the field together on third downs as part of Ohio State's now-famed 'Rushmen' package and it's not a particularly fun experience for the opposition.
"The four defensive ends are elite players," Meyer said. "Tyquan, Bosa, Jalyn Holmes and Sam Hubbard, they're all very experienced guys so we're being very cautious [this spring]."
It obviously won't be the same when fall rolls around. The Buckeyes expect to terrorize opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks off the edge.
