When I walked with Larry Johnson to his office after a practice last October, I thought we’d talk for about five or 10 minutes. I had only a few questions for the longest-tenured coach on the Ohio State staff, but it evolved into a longer conversation about why he won’t retire, his family and more.And despite being adamant that he’s not ready to step away, at age 74, the Buckeyes’ defensive line coach knows he can’t do much about those rumors coming up every year, whether on social media or the recruiting trail.But if Johnson saying he wasn’t ready to retire isn’t enough to confirm his plans — not to mention a contract extension paying Johnson $1.6 million — his performance on the recruiting trail says it all.On Saturday, Ohio State got a commitment from four-star defensive lineman Karlos May of Birmingham, Ala., the No. 135 player and No. 15 defensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite.
Buckeye Nation I’m home !!! https://t.co/iqz9KZ6NzR
— Karlos”Big Los”May⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Karlosmay2027) July 18, 2026Ohio State beat Auburn, Florida State and Georgia to land May, another big win in one of Johnson’s best recruiting cycles. Ohio State also has commitments from five-star DJ Jacobs of Roswell, Ga.; five-star Marcus Fakatou of Chatsworth, Calif.; and four-star Wyatt Smith of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.Ohio State needed to strike gold along the defensive line in this class, and Johnson has done just thatIf the rankings and commitments hold, this could be the first time since he landed JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams and Michael Hall in 2021 that Johnson signs four top-150 defensive linemen, including two five-stars.In an era when NIL and revenue sharing are spreading talent out, only Ohio State has four defensive linemen rated top 150 in the country committed. It will have to get to the finish line, but Johnson is in Year 31 as a college assistant and showing he is still an elite recruiter, answering doubts from recent years.Signing day for the 2024 recruiting class in particular was a dramatic one for the Buckeyes.On that day, Dec. 20, 2023, Day nearly fell to his knees as Jeremiah Smith locked in his commitment to the Buckeyes. But that wasn’t the only drama; five-star defensive lineman Eddrick Houston was also involved in the day. In fact, Day stepped out of the press conference to talk with Houston before getting official word that Houston had signed.Getting Houston locked up saved a defensive line class that had just three commits with four-star Dominic Kirks and three-star Eric Mensah. While Houston is in line to be the starting defensive tackle this year, Kirks and Mensah have transferred.It was a class that Johnson drew criticism for, and since then, annual summer discussions haven’t been about whether Ohio State can get players interested; they’ve been about whether Johnson would finish the job and solidify an elite defensive line haul.Top recruits such as Dylan Stewart (South Carolina) have gone elsewhere, while Johnson had a roster logjam with Tuimoloau, Sawyer, Ty Hamilton, Williams, Caden Curry, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and others on a unit that was expected to be overhauled before then. All of those players played a part in the 2024 national championship, but it had repercussions elsewhere.“You hold these other guys back because these four (Tuimoloau, Sawyer, Hamilton and Williams) are playing, so you’ve lost some experience, and then you almost lose a recruiting class because nobody is coming in because those guys are coming back,” Johnson said last summer during preseason camp. “So we’re in that logjam that this has to be the year to build going forward for the future.”Now, with everybody on that list gone except Jackson, Johnson is building again.In the last two cycles, he’s added high-upside players such as four-star edge Zion Grady, who is entering his second year, and four-star, top-60 freshman Khary Wilder. Both may make an impact this year, setting the stage for big roles in 2027 when the latest class arrives.The Buckeyes have clearly chosen to invest in the trenches this cycle, with six four-star commitments on the offensive line as well. But when it comes to the potential of what a defensive lineman can be at Ohio State, Johnson has played a major role with a well-earned reputation for development. His list of drafted players is long, and he’s not done yet, with Jackson likely being picked next spring.Day often repeats a simple expectation of his assistants: He wants them to be the best coach and recruiter at their position in the country. For years, Johnson has been regarded as one of the best position coaches in the country. He’s a legend when it comes to the defensive line, going back to his time at Penn State.He’s also been one of the best recruiters over the years, and after a few years that left something to be desired by the fan base, he couldn’t have asked for a better 2027 haul.Will this group be better than the 2021 class? That’s way too early to tell, but the foursome of Jacobs, Fakatou, Smith and May should excite Ohio State fans about the future. It should also be an eye-opener for rivals that as long as Johnson wants to coach, he’ll be at Ohio State and will do it well.Last fall, Johnson said he proposed a question to himself after the national championship season and after losing four starters to the NFL.“Can I do it again?” Johnson said. “Can I bring the same energy of passion I had all those years? Do you still have it, Larry?”He showed he could reload his unit after Ohio State’s defense produced at a high level after a massive offseason overhaul in 2025. This summer, he’s showing he can still dominate on the recruiting trail, too.
