We truly are in the thick of the offseason, but the light is emerging from the end of the tunnel. If you listen to all the different outlets that are scraping the bottom of the barrel for content at this time of the year, that light may not seem as bright. The doom and gloom scenarios I constantly hear about the defensive tackle situation make me think we are coming off of sanctions, and Joe Bauserman is about to make his first start against Akron. Factor in the spring game performance from the tackles, and we now have our reasons to overreact all the way through the offseason.

I have a few reasons why I don't see defensive tackle as a glaring issue but more so a unit that just needs to progress through camp and the entirety of the season.

1.) There is always going to be a weak unit. Urban was famous for saying "9 Strong" and it really is a great cultural pillar for a football team. If all nine units play to their maximum capacity, you have a great chance to win. But "maximum capacity" looks different for every unit. Maximum capacity for this unit might just be eating space at the line of scrimmage versus inside zone on 1st & 10 and allowing Sonny and Arvell to be freaks. While maximum capacity for the safety room might be multiple interceptions off Drew Allar before halftime. Point being, not every unit can be elite every year. There have been plenty of championship teams with perceived weaknesses. It takes an entire defense, and not every unit can be the most elite performing or the most elite when it comes to depth and prototypical measureables. 

2.) No transfer portal additions. I've seen all the portal threads, and I felt the general consensus was that if there was an upgrade at the position, Day would have opened up the checkbook. I don't necessarily disagree, but if the coaches in the Woody shared the same outlook as the fans, they would have had the medical school clone 18-year-old Vince Wilfork to play for the scarlet and gray. There is a reason why they did not go scorched earth for at least ONE player, and I believe that's because they feel the guys in the room have the stuff to get the job done. Have we, the fans, seen the proof to validate that belief? Perhaps not. I personally can't wait to see what Jason Moore does in camp, and my belief lies in the fact that a player with that frame should 100% be able to slide down to 1Tech and hold his own. He doesn't have to have 4 TFLs a game, but simply holding his own will suffice in order for this defense to have success. 

3.) Matt Patricia. I know, I know. We have all predicted for the past few offseasons that Jim Knowles will finally bring variety to our personnel packages, alignments, and fronts. I've been playing College Football 26, and even the developers (who have no factual knowledge of what fronts will be used this year) have packages where an inside backer is mugged up and there are three edge rushers on the field. I actually believe that Patricia not only has the knowledge to mix things up but was brought in to do this very thing. I don't have the numbers on hand, nor do I know where to find them, but let's say we had a 1-tech and 3-tech on the field last year for 90% of snaps. If getting creative with personnel can lower that number, you worry less about depth and less about season-long fatigue. It's so easy as a coach to rely on your top 4 guys and worry less about rotation, but this year's team by necessity may have to go all in on creativity and frequency when it comes to rotations. My honest opinion is that if Larry Johnson was concerned about a new coordinator making big changes, he would have ridden off into the sunset. I believe a change is coming, and it might look very different upfront even if we are being told that this will be the same "Ohio State defense." 

Just my thoughts on the topic that I feel has created some offseason anxiety. I personally am going to find reasons to believe this team can accomplish all their goals even if the production from certain units doesn't mirror last year. They have too much overall talent. I would HATE to play this team. Go Bucks!