Ryan Day makes strong statement on former SEC transfer who may finally be becoming just what Ohio State needs
The Ohio State Buckeyes can call the first part of their season a success as they head into their first off week. A win over the Texas Longhorns was huge, and they followed it up by looking like a complete team against Grambling State and a solid Ohio squad. Ryan Day’s team now has a […]
The Ohio State Buckeyes can call the first part of their season a success as they head into their first off week. A win over the Texas Longhorns was huge, and they followed it up by looking like a complete team against Grambling State and a solid Ohio squad. Ryan Day’s team now has a few extra days to regroup from fall camp and the opening stretch of the season before going on the road to face the Washington Huskies next week.
Ohio State could use this week off to make some changes after self-scouting their first three games. We’ve already seen one adjustment on offense, as freshman Bo Jackson’s workload has steadily increased with plenty of protection. On defense, the Buckeyes notably gave Tywone Malone the start alongside Kayden McDonald against Ohio, and he performed well in a spot where Eddrick Houston had started the previous two weeks.
Former Ole Miss transfer Malone may be coming into his own for the Buckeyes.
“I thought Tywone took a step in the game,” Day said on Tuesday. “I thought he played well. He still has some things that I know Coach Johnson is working on to get him to play better, but he did some nice things in the game. I think he graded out well, so that’s big. We need that position to continue to build depth and play at a high level.”
Houston still played 18 snaps — the same number as Malone despite not starting — but Malone made three tackles compared to just one for Houston. After transferring from Ole Miss, Malone recorded 13 tackles in each of the past two seasons. Now, the Ohio State defensive tackle looks to have taken a bigger step, which is exactly what the Buckeyes needed after losing Hero Kanu to Texas and both Tyliek Williams and Ty Hamilton to the NFL. Will Smith Jr. also played 22 snaps against the Bobcats, giving the Buckeyes four contributors in the middle of their defensive line.
“Eddrick still played and Will [Smith Jr.] still played. We didn’t have a ton of snaps on defense; we’ll have a lot more moving forward. We’re gonna need everybody.”
Malone’s growth has given the Buckeyes another player they can count on this season. Freshman Jarequez Carter is the fifth man in the rotation and has already appeared in three games, recording one tackle. Ohio State has to feel good about where its interior depth stands, even as Malone starts to take over some of Houston’s snaps — at least for now.
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