Ohio State's defense dominated Texas and Pro Football Focus took notice of the Buckeyes on that side of the ball.
Following Ohio State's season-opening win over No. 1 Texas, many people were impressed with the performance of the Buckeyes' defensive players and formed opinions on how Ohio State's players performed. One such set of opinions comes from Pro Football Focus, who grades every player after every game based on how they perform on a snap-to-snap basis.
| ELITE | GOOD | ABOVE AVG. | AVG. | BELOW AVG. | POOR | VERY POOR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90-100 | 80-89 | 70-79 | 60-69 | 50-59 | 40-49 | Below 40 |
We compiled the PFF grades for every Buckeye who played on either offense or defense in the season opener and highlight the three highest-graded players – all of whom were on the defensive side of the ball – who played at least 10 snaps against the Longhorns.
The Top Three
1. DT Kayden McDonald (82.4)
Entering the season-opener against Texas, a concern many analysts had about Ohio State's defense was the interior defensive line. McDonald answered that question by racking up eight tackles against the Longhorns, earning the second-highest tackling grade (77.1) among all defensive tackles in the country. His tackle grade was the best among all DTs in the B1G and he also led the Buckeyes with a score of 82.2 in run defense.
2. DT Will Smith Jr. (80.7)
Living up to his namesake, the Dublin Coffman alum was the only other Ohio State player with an overall grade in the 80s against Texas. Ohio State’s backup nose tackle behind McDonald, Smith recorded two tackles in 16 snaps.
3. CB Jermaine Mathews Jr. (78.0)
Mathews earned Ohio State's highest grade from PFF in pass coverage (84.4). The junior finished the opener with three tackles and the game's only interception as well as an additional pass deflection that was nearly picked off by Sonny Styles.
Extra Points
With a grade of 73.1, Carnell Tate edged out Julian Sayin (72.3) as the top Buckeye on passing plays. Jaylen McClain's tackling grade of 83.8 led the team. The brothers Styles, Lorenzo and Sonny, were the other Ohio State players with tackling grades in the 80s. With a grade of 44.0, true freshman cornerback Devin Sanchez was the lowest-rated Buckeye in the Texas game.
Offensive Ratings By Position
Quarterback
Julian Sayin: 70.6 (59 snaps)
Running Backs
C.J. Donaldson: 70.9 (42 snaps)
James Peoples: 56.6 (20 snaps)
Wide Receivers
Carnell Tate: 72.7 (46 snaps)
Jeremiah Smith: 61.6 (57 snaps)
Brandon Inniss: 54.9 (23 snaps)
Tight Ends
Will Kacmarek: 60.5 (48 snaps)
Nate Roberts: 60.0 (1 snap)
Jelani Thurman: 59.5 (7 snaps)
Bennett Christian: 52.8 (28 snaps)
Max Klare: 49.9 (23 snaps)
Offensive Line
Phillip Daniels: 61.1 (59 snaps)
Austin Siereveld: 58.8 (59 snaps)
Luke Montgomery: 58.1 (59 snaps)
Carson Hinzman: 58.1 (59 snaps)
Ethan Onianwa: 51.6 (15 snaps)
Tegra Tshabola: 49.6 (44 snaps)
| QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DE | DT | LB | CB | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julian Sayin | C.J. Donaldson | Carnell Tate | Will Kacmarek | Phillip Daniels | Caden Curry | Kayden McDonald | Sonny Styles | Jermaine Mathews | Jaylen McClain |
| 70.6 | 70.9 | 72.7 | 60.5 | 61.1 | 64.9 | 82.4 | 69.1 | 78.0 | 69.0 |
Defensive Ratings by Position
Defensive Ends
Caden Curry: 64.9 (59 snaps)
C.J. Hicks: 64.3 (19 snaps)
Beau Atkinson: 63.0 (35 snaps)
Kenyatta Jackson Jr.: 59.4 (34 snaps)
Defensive Tackles
Kayden McDonald: 82.4 (38 snaps)
Will Smith Jr.: 80.7 (16 snaps)
Tywone Malone: 69.7 (14 snaps)
Jarquez Carter: 67.0 (3 snaps)
Eddrick Houston: 57.2 (39 snaps)
Linebackers
Sonny Styles: 69.1 (57 snaps)
Arvell Reese: 62.8 (64 snaps)
Payton Pierce: 55.2 (15 snaps)
Cornerbacks
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 78.0 (67 snaps)
Davison Igbinosun: 61.3 (67 snaps)
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 56.8 (65 snaps)
Devin Sanchez: 44.0 (11 snaps)
Safeties
Jaylen McClain: 69.0 (67 snaps)
Caleb Downs: 66.2 (67 snaps)
