Ohio State Football: Can anyone dethrone the Buckeyes in 2020?

Buckeyes look to fill key positions on defense

There is a lot of talent and production to replace on the other side of the ball. Eight of the top nine tacklers from last year’s team are gone, including second overall draft pick Chase Young. Of course the Buckeyes recruit well but time will tell if there is a drop off once a few games are under their belts.

Even with Young’s departure, the defensive end position should still be great with Tyreke Smith and Zach Harrison. Jonathon Cooper and Tommy Togiai look to eat up the space on the interior of the line.

At linebacker, Tuf Borland looks to slide into his more natural position of middle linebacker as long as Baron Browning steps up on the outside. The former five star recruit is a senior now but has yet to live up to his potential. Pete Werner does return after being second on the team in tackles a year ago and should man the other outside spot.

The secondary will be a work in progress. The good news is the return of cornerback Shaun Wade. Outside of Wade, there are a lot of question marks and it would be a surprise if there was not a drop off with Jeff Okudah, Damon Arnette and Jordan Fuller all gone.

Ohio State has the potential to be a good defense. But can it be great? A lot of pressure will be on the secondary to keep up with opposing receivers. If the front seven cannot generate enough of a pass rush, the secondary could be in for a lot of problems.