During the 2009 season, the Ohio State football team depended heavily on its veteran defensive line to lead its stout defense.
After raising the Rose Bowl trophy, it looked as if the Buckeyes would have a major overhaul upcoming on their best unit with several seniors and possible early departures to the NFL.
While they will miss several seniors, including three-year starter Doug Worthington and junior Thaddeus Gibson, who departed for the NFL, the unit got a blessing early in the off-season when Cameron Heyward opted to return.
With so many young players expected to get a look on the line, a veteran like Heyward, along with fellow senior Dexter Larimore, should be key in the Buckeyes’ developmental process.
“Coach Tressel does a good job with our seniors, and when it is your time you need to step up, and Cam [Heyward] has done a good job in playing and working hard and doing all those things, but now he realizes with the seniors gone, it is his turn,” defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said.
“He [Heyward] has got to step up and do the things that coach Tressel expects him to do, and he has done a good job, as has Dex [Larimore]. I think Dex has really stepped up. Dex is not much of a talker and hasn’t been over the years, but both of those two guys I am really happy with the leadership.”
The two seniors will lead a group of young but talented players who will continue to push for playing time.
Junior Nathan Williams, who has gotten time in his first two seasons at OSU, looks to be the frontrunner to fill Gibson’s shoes at the LEO position. Gibson had somewhat of a breakout season before deciding to take his game to the next level.
“I don’t know that you can replace a guy like Thaddeus,” Tressel said. “You can put a guy at that spot, but it remains to be seen if we will have the production there.”
Williams will be pushed by junior Solomon Thomas. Right now, the two seem to be pushing each other.
“I don’t know that Nate really is a starter right now. We kind of got him slashed with Solomon Thomas, so I don’t know that he really is,” Heacock said. “I think our LEOs, between Solly and Nate, they got to become dominant players and make plays. They’ve got to produce.”
While one position is up for grabs, the interior position seems to be more secure. Sophomore John Simon could be in line to replace Worthington inside and he showed flashes last season as a true freshman.
The interior position seems to be Simon’s to lose, but Heacock said they wouldn’t hesitate to push Heyward inside to tackle if they felt Thomas and Williams were the most deserving of playing outside.
Regardless, Simon has impressed his coaches and has found himself playing with the first team so far this spring.
“Johnny Simon is rolling with the ones right now,” Heacock said. “I think John Simon proved last year at the end of the year that he could become that playmaker, and he’s going to have to get even better.”
Worthington was steady for the Buckeyes for his three seasons up front. His playmaking ability is something Simon’s veteran teammates think he could possess as well.
“I think he’s ready to dominate,” Heyward said of the sophomore. “He put in so much work in the weight room. I think he’s going to have a great year and I look forward to seeing it.”
Worthington and Gibson will be missed, but so will the immense amount of depth behind the four starters. Todd Denlinger, Robert Rose and Lawrence Wilson were three seniors who were able to give depth and have an impact as replacements.
The Buckeyes will look for other younger players to fill those roles.
“You look at Thaddeus and you look at Lawrence and Doug Worthington, and you take their reps out and their sacks out, and you take their tackles for loss out, we have taken a lot of production out of that defensive line,” Heacock said. “Now [it is about] who is going to step up.”
