COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State’s defensive line wasn’t good enough against Oregon, which has caused some frustration amongst the fanbase about where to go.
That leads us to two questions from Buckeye Talk Subtext subscribers:
Hey Andrew: How do you like OSU chances with Jahkeem Stewart??? — Luke from the 740
Hey Andrew: I think most people can agree it’s time for Larry Johnson to retire/ step away from being the main DL coach. How will that affect the DL recruiting going forward? Who is the best candidate to replace him? — 740
To answer the first one: There’s going to be an absolutely massive battle to land defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart.
The five-star defensive lineman, who just reclassified into the 2025 class, is the No. 16 overall prospect and No. 3 defensive lineman, per the 247Sports composite rankings. He’s a 6-foot-6, 270 pound monster up the middle, and Ohio State will have to fend off Oregon, LSU and USC to get him on campus.
The Buckeyes will have some ground to make up, considering Stewart was on campus for the Oct. 12 game in Eugene — where the Ducks certainly performed well on and off the field. They’re expected to have him on campus for the matchup vs. Michigan at the end of November.
So, in short, yes, Ohio State has a chance with Stewart. As of now, it’s anyone’s guess as to where he’s feeling good about. But the Buckeyes still are in the mix.
One of the reasons, moving on, is that Stewart is fond of Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson and assistant coach Gerren DuHart.
I don’t want to hypothesize about defensive line replacements for Johnson or any desire to see him move on, since there are many variables to consider, but it’s a fair question to bring up every year considering he is an older coach. Until he actually retires, it will be a question he and Ohio State will have to answer and recruit against every offseason.
Ohio State currently has Zion Grady, Zahir Mathis, Maxwell Roy, London Merritt, Trajen Odom and Jarquez Carter in its defensive line class, a haul that fans should be very excited for, one that Johnson has done a good job putting together. But should Johnson retire, in this hypothetical scenario, there’d be a quick push to ensure that those committed stay committed in the class.
Typically, when a position coach leaves a program, it’s expected that the school moves to keep those committed by reminding them that the commitment means more than just a position coach. In fact, should a player play four or even five years at a school, having the same position coach at any school is a rarity. That’s baked into the mold.
But a unique model hanging over this is that if Johnson leaves, does Ohio State move to the jack position on the defense? Would that allow them to recruit a player that fits defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ scheme a bit better for that spot?
That can only be answered by his potential replacement — whether that happens in January, or in January 2028, who’s to say.
Still, with Johnson’s retirement moving forward, the expectation for Ohio State should be to land a position coach that still can recruit four and five-star talent to Columbus. That shouldn’t change. It’s just about the philosophy in which that happens.
