Ohio State’s 2025 recruiting class continues to add along the defensive line.
Having previously landed commitments from defensive ends Zahir Mathis and Zion Grady, defensive tackles Trajen Odom and Maxwell Roy, and defensive lineman London Merritt, the Buckeyes received another commitment Thursday, this one from Florida four-star defensive lineman Jarquez Carter. Carter chose the Buckeyes over finalists Florida, Miami, Penn State and Central Florida.
With six incoming high school seniors committed to his defensive line, Larry Johnson is seemingly doing something unprecedented in Ohio State’s 2025 recruiting class. But how does it compare to past recruiting classes he’s built?
Here’s what Johnson’s defensive line room stands with Carter, and what it means moving forward:
How good is Ohio State 2025 defensive line recruiting class?
With Carter in the fold, Ohio State has six high school defensive line commits in 2025, Johnson’s largest such class at OSU. The Buckeyes landed five high school defensive line signees in both 2015 and 2018. In the 2018 class, Ohio State also had a defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson out of junior college, giving the Buckeyes six defensive linemen overall that year.
But this six-man 2025 class is different for Johnson and Ohio State.
Johnson may not have a five-star defensive lineman like Eddrick Houston, J.T. Tuimoloau or Jack Sawyer. But he has his first defensive line class with more than four, four-star prospects. It’s also his first class in which five defensive line commits are rated in the top-300 players nationally.
With Grady and Mathis, Ohio State has its first pair of top-100 defensive linemen since Tuimoloau and Sawyer signed in 2021.
The average defensive line commit in Ohio State’s 2025 class is ranked No. 197 in the country per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Ohio State’s best average since 2023. On average, they are also in the top 22 at their position (end or tackle), Ohio State’s best since 2022.
But the 2025 class does not come close to either 2021 or 2022, Johnson’s only two classes in which the average lineman was a top-100 prospect nationally.
Why is Ohio State 2025 defensive line class so big?
Ohio State will likely see a lot of turnover on the defensive line after the 2024 season.
Sawyer, Tumioloau, Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton – the Buckeyes’ projected defensive line starters – are each heading into their final seasons of collegiate eligibility. Hero Kanu, Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson Jr., as well as Mitchell Melton, will have NFL draft eligibility after the 2024 season.
Ohio State is set to replace at least four starters on its defensive line in 2025. And with players like Curry, Jackson and Kanu in line to potentially take starting reps in 2025, along with players like Joshua Mickens and Houston, Ohio State’s depth on defensive line will need to be rebuilt, something Johnson is doing with his six-man 2025 class.
What does this mean for Ohio State 2025 defensive line?
The starting defensive line for Ohio State heading into 2025 is seemingly up for grabs.
While players like Curry, Jackson and Kanu could potentially be penciled in as starters heading into the fall of 2025, none of the three have much experience, and given the experience in front of them, it is likely they will not get many reps in 2024.
With players like Mickens, Jason Moore, Kayden McDonald, Dominic Kirks and Houston – who could potentially be the only five-star in the room – still looking to make their mark, Johnson could have a number of combinations to work with in 2025.
And without a set starting four in 2025, players like Mathis, Grady and Merritt could be in line for an immediate rotation spot when they enroll.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football: How good is 2025 DL recruiting class?
The Columbus Dispatch
