COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio State held its fourth spring practice Thursday, followed by interviews with members of the defensive line.
A recurring theme was each player saying he need to be more accountable and a be a better leader after struggles during stretches of the 2021 season.
"Being a Silver Bullet, you can't take it for granted. I think last year we kind of just expected things to happen cause it did in previous years," sophomore defensive end Jack Sawyer said. "I think we got complacent a little bit and that's why we slipped up a few times. … This year, we're just taking everything more seriously."
Players on the defensive line were reminded who they are and what they represent after being shown a video of former OSU d-linemen who spoke about the legacy and importance of being a Silver Bullet.
"It's history. It's what started this whole thing and to be reminded of those responsibilities and what it takes to be a Silver Bullet. It just makes us remember this is bigger than just us," sophomore defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau said. "We're just holding ourselves accountable to those standards."
Sawyer and Tuimoloau are just two of several Buckeyes returning this season who feel they have something to prove after a disappointing season by OSU standards.
"People have been bad mouthing us about this and that but it's whatever," senior defensive tackle Taron Vincent said. "We get to start from a blank slate, we've got a whole new staff so everybody's just excited to show the world what we really are."
The new staff includes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who was praised by coach Ryan Day this week for trying to teach how to do things correctly and allow the players to understand what they're being taught.
"The whole vibe is just different you feel me? It's just exciting because it's not only that the coaches can see it, it's them showing it to us so we can see it," senior defensive tackle Jerron Cage said. "I just love it here."
Cage wasn't the only linemen who spoke about Knowles' coaching style and how it differs from what they've experienced in the past.
"He's really big into: If we're not doing it right, and if we keep messing up over and over again, it's probably not our fault it's probably his [fault]," Sawyer said. "He said if we're not learning it the right way, he might not be teaching it the right way. It's different things that Jim Knowles does that's really unorthodox and we all really love that."
This season, OSU returns defensive end Tyler Friday, who missed all of 2021 with a torn ACL, and Noah Potter, who missed a large portion of the season after losing peripheral vision in his right eye in October.
Another notable returner is rising sophomore Tyleik Williams, who was one of the highest-graded defensive tackles last year by Pro Football Focus (75.4) but played minimal snaps because of what he called a lack of conditioning.
