Ohio State isn’t new to replacing numerous NFL Draft picks on defense.After winning the national championship in 2024 and finishing as the top-ranked defense in the country, Ohio State replaced eight starters. It answered by somehow getting even better on defense, allowing just 219 yards per game.The Buckeyes are facing the same challenge this offseason after losing seven NFL Draft picks, including All-Americans Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles and Kayden McDonald.Can the defense continue its run as the best statistically in college football? Here are thoughts on Ohio State’s 44 scholarship defensive and special teams players. (Read about the offense here.)Defensive endsBeau Atkinson, r-Sr.: The transition to Ohio State can be difficult for some transfers, especially along the defensive line. Atkinson played 206 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, and struggled to make a strong impact after arriving from North Carolina. But people around Ohio State believe he’s ready for a big season. How much will he improve after recording 11 tackles and a sack in 11 games? I need to reserve judgement until I see more reps against the starting offensive line in the preseason.Kenyatta Jackson, r-Sr.: Jackson is the edge rusher I feel the best about coming into the season. He played 540 snaps last season and had 6.5 sacks and 45 pressures. The next step for him is to make the jump into a consistent game-wrecker, even against NFL-level offensive tackles.Qua Russaw, r-Jr.: My first impression of the Alabama transfer was that I love his athleticism and explosiveness. He was good at the start of last season, before getting hurt. His lone sack came against Wisconsin in September. Expecting him to come in during the spring and make an immediate impact was unrealistic, but preseason camp is important. The former five-star recruit has to find that electrifying form again.Zion Grady, Soph.: This defense is full of exciting sophomores like Grady. He played 97 snaps last year and came into this offseason with a lot of potential. I don’t think he’ll be a starter this year, but both Ohio State and Grady would benefit from him being in the two-deep rotation, which should be the case.Epi Sitanilei, r-Fr.: Sitanilei just finished his first spring after playing 17 defensive snaps as a freshman, so don’t expect him to jump into the rotation this year, but this second year is crucial to the three-year plan that coach Larry Johnson has for his defensive linemen.Khary Wilder, Fr.: The California native was one of the prizes of the 2026 recruiting class. A four-star recruit, Wilder was a fast riser in 2025, going from the No. 583 prospect to No. 51 in the 247Sports Composite in one year. The key for Wilder will be finding where Ohio State wants to play him. He has the size at 6 feet 4 and 248 pounds to make an impact on the edge or inside.Dre Quinn, Fr.: Ohio State flipped the four-star recruit from Clemson, but I don’t think he’ll turn into a contributor this season. He’s explosive on tape, but he may need some time to develop at Ohio State. The Buford, Ga., native will be worth watching this year, though, as Ohio State tries to get him some snaps before redshirting him.Kenyatta Jackson was second on the Buckeyes with 11 tackles for loss last season. (Luke Hales / Getty Images)Defensive tacklesJames Smith, Sr.: I’m curious which version of Smith shows up, similar to his Alabama teammate Russaw. At times Smith looked like a real disruptor, with 28 tackles and 6.5 tackles for a loss last season, but he’s inconsistent. He had a good spring, but Will Smith Jr. and Eddrick Houston started the spring game, which makes me believe Smith is still a bit behind. Smith will get plenty of playing time; it’s just a matter of how consistent he can be.Eddrick Houston, Jr.: It’s time for Houston to show off the skills that made him a five-star recruit. He moved to defensive tackle as a freshman but battled injuries last season, which led to some inconsistency. In 158 pass rush snaps, he had nine pressures. Like Jackson on the edge, Houston is the surest thing inside, but he needs to show his talent on a weekly basis.Will Smith Jr., r-Jr.: Smith earned the start in the spring game and was consistently disruptive. He has good size and active hands to shed blocks and also disrupt passing lanes. Still, Ohio State needs the transfers to build a deep rotation to get the most out of the defensive line.John Walker, r-Jr.: Walker has immediate-impact size at 303 pounds and had a good career at UCF with 64 tackles and 8 tackles for a loss in two seasons. Ohio State will try to maximize his potential, but like Smith, he can’t be on a multi-year track. Ohio State needs him to be impactful at nose tackle and settle into the two-deep right away.Jason Moore, r-Jr.: Moore was the No. 8 defensive lineman out of high school and settled in at defensive tackle. He hasn’t found a home in any rotations, giving this season a make-or-break feel for the Maryland native.Jamir Perez, Fr.: Ohio State flipped the Glenville, Ohio, product from Florida and got a player with good athleticism and impressive size. Perez came into the spring at 6-3 and 360 pounds and screams high-potential nose tackle, but he’ll need to be developed. I wouldn’t expect much this season, but Johnson has developed plenty of talented, athletic and big nose tackles in the past. Perez could be the next one.Damari Simeon, Fr.: He’s on the smaller side at 6-2 and 288 pounds, but he’s athletic and should be able to add weight without losing that athleticism. He’s a multi-year development project, though.Emanuel Ruffin, Fr.: The former Colorado commit from Alabama is another project, but his 6-4, 295-pound frame out of high school is exciting.Darryus McKinley, Fr.: I thought the signing of McKinley meant the Buckeyes were also going to be in the mix for his brother, LSU lineman and former five-star Dominick McKinley. But Dominick never entered the portal. Ohio State will be patient with the development of Darryus, a three-star recruit.LinebackersChristian Alliegro, Sr.: Alliegro brings plenty of experience from his time at Wisconsin, as he had 53 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and four sacks last season. We didn’t see much of his pass rushing ability this spring, but he has the upside to make an impact. If Ohio State wants to play him as an off-ball will linebacker, he can thrive alongside Payton Pierce.Payton Pierce, Jr.: He was the third linebacker behind two top-10 NFL Draft picks in Reese and Styles, so we didn’t talk a lot about Pierce last season, but we will this year. He played 256 snaps on defense and 211 on special teams, finishing with 44 tackles. He enters the summer as the mike linebacker and is expected to lead the unit in snaps.T.J. Alford, Soph.: The Florida native is competing for the third linebacker spot, but I think he’s slightly behind Riley Pettijohn. Regardless, Alford should get time on the second team, and he’s also a reliable special teams player. He had 89 snaps there last season, a number that should increase.Riley Pettijohn, Soph.: It’s unfortunate that Pettijohn missed the spring with an injury, because there were times in his 75 defensive snaps last season when he looked the part. He had nine tackles, one pass breakup and a forced fumble last year. He will be back for camp and should solidify his claim to the third linebacker spot.Garrett Stover, r-Soph.: Stover played 90 special teams snaps last year, but I expect that number to rise. He’s athletic and a good tackler, but he is unlikely to crack the rotation for major defensive snaps.Eli Lee, r-Fr.: Rotational linebackers usually find a home on the special teams unit, and that’s where the former three-star prospect will need to make an impact because he’s unlikely to crack the two-deep.Cincere Johnson, Fr.: When Johnson showed up to spring practice, I thought Reese had come back and changed his number. Physically, Johnson is a different breed. He moves really well, and when you mix that athleticism with his 6-3, 228-pound frame, you can see why he was a five-star recruit and the No. 1 linebacker in the 2026 class. It might not be this year, but Johnson will be opening the eyes of people around the country sooner rather than later.Braxton Rembert, Fr.: Ohio State can do a lot with the 6-5 linebacker, but not quite this year. Rembert, who entered the spring at 195 pounds, needs to add weight to his frame. The four-star prospect has a high ceiling and should be a name to remember.CJ Sanna, Fr.: Sanna fits the athletic mold of this freshman linebacker class. He was an edge rusher early in his high school career, and between him, Johnson and Rembert, coach James Laurinaitis has a versatile freshman trio. Sanna may just have to sit for a year or two before seeing the field.CornerbacksJermaine Mathews Jr., Sr.: Mathews struggled in the Big Ten title game against Indiana, but I don’t think that should change the outlook of what he can do for this year’s team. His leadership is contagious in the secondary, and he’s gotten better every year. His competitiveness is his best trait, which is why I think he’ll improve on his third-team All-Big Ten honors.Cam Calhoun, r-Jr.: A former high school teammate of Mathews, Calhoun strikes me as an experienced depth piece after bouncing from Michigan to Utah to Alabama. He’s an outside corner, which limits his chances to get on the field for major snaps, barring an injury.Dominick Kelly, Soph.: Kelly is one of the transfers people really need to pay attention to. He won’t start over Mathews or Devin Sanchez, but his size at 6-2 is a big plus, especially in the red zone. Ohio State will likely play three safeties, but when it goes to its dime package, expect to see plenty of Kelly outside. The Georgia transfer could end up being one of the most underrated additions of the offseason.Miles Lockhart, r-Soph.: Lockhart doesn’t have an obvious path to the field, which made me think he might transfer. He decided to stay, though, and to his credit should make the two-deep as the backup nickel. That doesn’t mean he’ll play if one of the safeties goes down, because Ohio State could just shuffle around Mathews and Kelly, but Lockhart should see second-team reps.Devin Sanchez, Soph.: Sanchez had his share of freshman ups and downs, but he was terrific against Miami and should build off that strong performance. The former five-star recruit from Texas is physically gifted at 6-2 and is a quick learner. I don’t see a world in which Sanchez isn’t an All-Big Ten honoree this year.Jordyn Woods, r-Fr.: It’s not often you get a 6-4 corner, but there’s so much talent ahead of Woods that I’m not sure where he fits into this depth chart. He played two special teams snaps last year, and I expect to see more of him there.Jordan Thomas, Fr.: The freshman duo of Thomas and Jay Timmons is really good. The 6-foot New Jersey native Thomas had a pass breakup and tackle for a loss in the Navy All-American Bowl and carried that into a good first spring. The depth chart is pretty stacked above him, but his future is bright.Jay Timmons, Fr.: The Pennsylvania product is probably Ohio State’s best steal of the recruiting cycle. The Buckeyes flipped the five-star from Florida State and got a versatile corner who can play outside, in the slot and safety if they eventually need help there. Need a defensive freshman to watch? Timmons is the one.SafetiesEarl Little, r-Sr.: Little was banged up in the spring, but the staff is excited about what he can bring to the secondary. He fits into the nickel role well and brings a lot of experience after his time at Florida State, though he has to reduce the 15 missed tackles he had last season, per PFF. That was the ninth most among ACC safeties, so it’s not an egregious amount, but it would’ve been the most on Ohio State’s roster last year. I expect safeties coach Matt Guerrieri will get that cleaned up. I wouldn’t be shocked if Little is the most impactful defensive transfer.Terry Moore, Sr.: Moore was my favorite addition of the offseason. The Duke transfer was one of the best safeties in the country in 2024, and Ohio State is betting he can return to the form that helped him rack up 71 tackles, six pass breakups and four interceptions before tearing his ACL. I expect he’ll start alongside Jaylen McClain and use his natural ball-hawking abilities to make plays.Jaylen McClain, Jr.: I couldn’t be higher on McClain going into this season. The glue of the secondary, he keeps everything in front of him and rarely makes mistakes or takes bad angles to ball carriers. He played the most defensive snaps last season and had 53 tackles. Are All-America honors in his future? I think so.Leroy Roker, r-Soph.: Ohio State is high on Roker. While the transfers will be ahead of him on the depth chart, I expect Ohio State to find time for Roker in meaningful moments, not just blowouts.Deshawn Stewart, r-Fr.: Stewart didn’t record a snap last year. It’s hard to see a path to the field for the former three-star prospect, especially with the freshman talent added. His first goal needs to be the special teams units.Khmari Bing, Fr.: Bing flipped from Maryland to Ohio State, which was a big win even if the four-star recruit isn’t likely to make an impact this year. He has versatility after playing some corner early in his high school career.Blaine Bradford, Fr.: Bradford was the No. 7 safety in the 2026 class and a big get when he committed in March 2025. Ohio State won’t rush him onto the field, but he’s a strong tackler and was known for his ability to flow to the ball with ease in high school. It’ll be interesting to see if he can get on the field in the second half of games.Simeon Caldwell, Fr.: Listed as a safety but ranked as a linebacker in the 247Sports Composite, Caldwell seems like he would do well in the box. His position is far from locked after just five months on campus. We’ll see if he shifts to linebacker or stays at safety all year.Kaden Gebhardt, Fr.: Gebhardt decommitted from Clemson and signed with Ohio State in December. He was a three-star recruit who found himself around the ball often in high school. It’ll take him time to break into the depth chart, but he has the attributes and intangibles to be a special teams standout early in his career.Special teamsConnor Hawkins, r-Soph.: Ohio State needed to add a kicker this offseason and got a good one in Hawkins from Baylor. He made two field goals over 40 yards, including a 46-yarder, in the spring game — a bright sign, even if he missed one kick. He made 18 of 22 field goals last season, including 8 of 12 from over 40.Joe McGuire, r-Jr: McGuire is back for his fourth year and has been a consistent punter, though his distance lacked a bit last year. His longest punt was 51 yards and he pinned 12 kicks inside the 20-yard-line, a dip from 14 he had in 2024.