At first, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. was overwhelmed when he realized it was his time to be the leader of Ohio State’s defensive line.
When Ohio State began winter workouts this offseason, Jackson didn’t feel ready to take on that responsibility. As he became an elder statesman of a defensive line tasked with replacing Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Ty Hamilton and Tyleik Williams, the weight initially felt like too much to carry.
Jackson persevered through those early doubts, however, and became comfortable with his leadership role by the middle of winter workouts. Now, the redshirt junior DE is embracing that role fully as he steps into a starting role for the first time.
“I'm going to be honest: I did not want to be the leader of this room at first,” Jackson told reporters last week. “In the winter, you know, it was tough. I don't tell nobody this, but there would be times, there would be days where (director of sports performance Mickey Marotti) and the other coaches would be hard on the D-line. And it would be tough. And I would go home and shed tears, like, real talk.
“It hit me where I had to be the guy. I had to be one of the leaders in the room. So it was kind of scary. But I stuck with it. The (coaches) helped me along with it. And we're here now.”
Over the past month, Jackson has drawn consistent praise from his coaches and teammates for how he’s stepped up as a leader. Even as Jackson dealt with his early internal struggles, new Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia said Jackson was one of the first players who stood out to him as a leader for the defense he inherited when he arrived at OSU in February.
“I think Kenyatta has just really from day one that I walked in the building, stepped forward and said, ‘OK, hey, let me be in front. Let me do the drill first. Let me learn. Let me do the lift,’” defensive coordinator Matt Patricia said. “Whatever it is, it's like ‘Get me out in front. Let me go compete. Let me push myself.’ I think that everyone sees how hard he is pushing himself, and you can't help but gravitate towards that saying, ‘If this guy is working this hard, man, I got to get my stuff together. I got to go work as hard as he is,’ because he is setting the standard as we go forward. And I think everybody feels that.”
Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson says he’s seen Jackson grow substantially in terms of his maturity and leadership entering his fourth year as a Buckeye.
“Big-time growth. Big-time growth,” Johnson said. “He's embracing it. He's playing absolutely as hard as he can possibly play. Him and (fellow fourth-year defensive end) Caden Curry have kind of taken over the room as leaders, and it’s good to see. That a guy who's been here understands what it takes to run that room.”
Jackson’s teammates have also seen him push himself to be a leader and push everyone else to follow his lead.
“Kenyatta Jackson has done a very good job,” team captain and Block O recipient Sonny Styles said at Big Ten Media Days. “I'm really excited for him. He's going to have a huge year. He's a great dude. He does things the right way every day. He holds everyone accountable, including me. He obviously has all the tools it takes to be a monster defensive end. So I'm super excited for him.”
That said, Jackson says he isn’t doing anything out of the ordinary to be a leader. He’s just trying to be himself and work as hard as he can every day, and his teammates are following his lead as a result.
“You have different leaders. You’ve got the vocal leader, you’ve got the leader that's set by example. And I just try to be myself around the guys,” Jackson said. “You know, a leader can't tell a guy what to do when a leader's not doing it. So every day I just push myself to the standard of the Rushmen, and they just follow after me.”
Even though he has yet to start a game for the Buckeyes and has just three career sacks in three years, expectations within the Woody Hayes Athletic Center are sky-high for Jackson entering the 2025 season. Both Styles and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith – who went to the same high school as Jackson – said at Big Ten Media Days that they believe Jackson could be a first-round NFL draft pick.
Jackson appreciates the praise from his teammates and hopes to make that prophecy come true, but says it’s not something he’s actively chasing in the year ahead. Rather, his goal is simply to do the job Ohio State needs him to do as he steps up into a starting role for the first time.
“If God blesses me to be a first-rounder, then he blesses me to be a first-rounder. But I'm just trying to get better,” Jackson said. “I’m just trying to get better each and every day.”
“It hit me where I had to be the guy. I had to be one of the leaders in the room. So it was kind of scary. But I stuck with it. The (coaches) helped me along with it. And we're here now.”– Kenyatta Jackson Jr. on the pressure of being a leader
Jackson’s work ethic has been well-recognized by his coaches and teammates this offseason as he was one of eight players named an Iron Buckeye for his performance in summer workouts. As he prepares for the start of the season next week against Texas, Jackson has no plans of slowing down any time soon.
“I just come in every day and just bust my butt every single day. Just trying to get 1% better each and every day, preparing for the opponent that we have coming up,” Jackson said.
