The Other Five-Star Guy
Ohio State signed two 5-star defensive ends in the 2016 recruiting class last year. Nick Bosa got the attention and the snaps last season, but Jonathon Cooper was also a ballyhooed signee in his own right. While Bosa stepped right into the rotation, Cooper hasn’t yet been able to find a regular role.
That’s not necessarily Cooper’s fault, especially when you consider the talent that Ohio State currently has at defensive end. Now a sophomore, Cooper is still fighting for a spot and is playing here and there. Even though he’s not a regular part of the rotation, defensive line coach Larry Johnson is happy with the progress so far.
“Really pleased,” he said. “You watch Jonathon on the back side, if the ball is running away from him, boy he’s running to it. and I like his energy and I like how fast he plays at the line of scrimmage. And again, he’s another guy that’s kind of unsung, but he’s another guy that we’re really counting on to give us reps.”
Speaking of Nick Bosa
In a very limited number of snaps this season, Nick Bosa is currently leading the Big Ten in tackles for loss with 10. He has already bested his total from last season, which is a pretty good indication that he is only getting better.
Where has he gotten better from a year ago?
“I think just getting off the ball. Less thinking and just pass rushing. It’s just reaction,” Bosa said. “It’s literally just playing over and over again and seeing things. Just knowing and not taking that extra half second because in that extra half second the ball gets away because these quarterbacks are game-planning against us to get the ball out right away..
The NFL Knows
There are a couple of schools of thought when it comes to recruiting and Ohio State’s rotation at defensive end. One side says that you won’t get to play as much as you’d like because you’re always rotating. The other side says that you can play as a true freshman because the rotation creates opportunities immediately.
Every player wants to play as many snaps as humanly possible, which makes Ohio State’s rotation at defensive end both rare and a luxury. Not every program can pull this off, and not every player would be cool with it.
“We’ve accepted it,” Nick Bosa said. “We realize that the pro scouts see the plays that you do play and they know if you’re the real deal or not. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing a thousand reps like some of these other teams are and just being dead, running, and fitting a tackle. We’re flying every single time. It looks better on film.”
