COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State’s defense isn’t to blame for its fourth-straight Michigan loss, but it also missed some key plays down the stretch that couldn’t prevent it.
That’s reflected in the Buckeyes Pro Football Focus grades with eight different guys grading out at 70 or better. Arvell Reese led that group with a career-high 91.2 to go along with seven tackles.
Jack Sawyer followed with an 88.6 after recording four tackles. But his most important play was an interception deep into the red that gave OSU back the ball with less than eight minutes to play.
t was the type of play that should’ve been one of the greatest moments in program history. Instead, it won’t get the love it deserves because the offense couldn’t make anything of it.
Latest Ohio State Buckeyes news
- Ohio State 2026 offensive line target and in-state prospect commits to Oklahoma over the Buckeyes
- What Air Noland’s transfer says about Ohio State’s next starting quarterback
- Another Ohio State quarterback has entered the transfer portal
- Ohio State football has its first consensus All-American for 2024
Here’s how the rest of the defense graded:
(PFF grades every player on every play and uses a scale of 0-100, with higher grades indicating better play. PFF has explained its grades this way: 100-90 elite; 89-85 Pro Bowler; 84-70 starter; 69-60 backup; 59-0 replaceable. In other words, it’s similar to how we would match up percentages with traditional letter grades in school.)
NOTE: Snap counts in parentheses.
DEFENSIVE END
Jack Sawyer: 88.6 (52)
Mitchell Melton: 74.7 (3)
J.T. Tuimoloau: 66.8 (53)
Kenyatta Jackson: 60.7 (7)
Caden Curry: 60.7 (3)
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Kayden McDonald: 80.6 (13)
Tyleik Williams: 74.1 (53)
Eddrick Houston: 60.0 (2)
Hero Kanu: 60.0 (1)
Ty Hamilton: 55.7 (53)
LINEBACKER
Arvell Reese: 91.2 (36)
Cody Simon: 74.0 (59)
C.J. Hicks: 61.9 (4)
Sonny Styles: 44.8 (59)
Davison Igbinosun: 60.7 (51)
Lorenzo Styles Jr.: 60.7 (4)
Jermaine Mathews: 55.6 (16)
SAFETY
Caleb Downs: 76.0 (59)
Lathan Ransom: 69.5 (59)
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
