By Patrick Weider
Jim Knowles came to Ohio State three years ago after the Buckeyes’ defense had fallen flat with previous defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs. He leaves having produced one of the top defenses in Ohio State’s History when Ohio State beat Notre Dame to win the National Title.
Ohio State was second in total yards per game (277 per game), first in ppg (13 ppg), and first in red zone defense (allowing scoring 60% of the time). Knowles’ defense was good all three years but after having some late-season meltdowns in his first two seasons they played at an even higher level this season. After losing to Oregon earlier this year, the veteran defenders and Knowles greatly improved as a unit, particularly in all four College Football Playoff games they played elite. They only allowed 19 PPG in the College Football Playoffs, against four very good offenses.
🚨 Jim Knowles to Penn State is one of the biggest coaching portal moves in recent history.
An enormous W for James Franklin and PSU.
They just stole the #1 DC in the nation from the defending national champs and made him the highest-paid DC in CFB history.
PSU should be the… pic.twitter.com/oTc8XBc4r7
— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman81) January 26, 2025
Losing Jim Knowles is a tough blow for Ohio State, but it is not a devastating loss. Talking to people around the program, Jim Knowles and defensive line coach Larry Johnson never saw eye-to-eye, so a reset was needed for the staff. Whoever gets the defensive coordinator position will be stepping into a great situation as Ohio State still is a talented team on defense, even though they are losing eight starters from the National Title team. Ohio State has recruited well and has a bunch of capable players who are ready to step in and lead the Buckeye defense next year.
The three returning defensive starters are excellent. Safety Caleb Downs is one of the best defenders in the country. His ability to play as a run defender and a pass defender is excellent. He is truly a game-changer for the Buckeyes. Linebacker Sonny Styles is only getting better after switching from safety the previous season and has a chance to make a huge jump next season. The last returning starter is cornerback Davison Igbinosun. Igbinosun had an up-and-down season as he committed 16 penalties on the year. He is a physical cornerback, that sometimes crossed the line and had costly penalties.
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This view of Caleb Downs' punt return touchdown 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KrfXlUd0HU
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 23, 2024
The other part of the puzzle for Ohio State is that Ryan Day has grown as the Head Football coach over his six years as head coach. The defensive coordinator is no longer going to have carte blanch of the defense. After the Oregon loss, Day spent a considerable amount of time with the defense to make sure their problems were fixed. This might have led to friction with Knowles but this is Ryan Day’s program.
He has the benefit of doing that because he is no longer the primary offensive coordinator after he hired Chip Kelly as the offensive coordinator and play caller. Whoever the next defense coordinator they will have to run everything by Day as he is now a CEO-type head coach rather than just the offensive coordinator who calls plays and as the head coach.
Defensive staffing will also be important. Jim Knowles and defensive line coach Larry Johnson never seemed to agree on how to coach and align the defensive line. The next defensive coordinator will not have complete control of their staff. Johnson is considered one of the best defensive line coaches ever, and he and Day are extremely close even though retirement questions have followed Johnson for years.
Along with Johnson, linebacker coach James Laurinaitis seems like a lock to stay on staff. He is a former Buckeye player who has done a nice job as a coach, and he has picked up the recruiting at the linebacker position. Safeties coach Matt Guerrieri is the one member of staff who has a chance to be the next Defensive Coordinator, but if they hire from outside the staff, he might not survive the transition. He did have coordinator experience at Indiana last year. Tim Walton is the other defensive assistant coach and is the cornerback’s coach. He has done a nice job recruiting at the cornerback position too.
— James Laurinaitis (@JLaurinaitis55) January 21, 2025
Ryan Day and Ohio State are the defending champs. They now must find a defensive coordinator, but they should have plenty of suitors to fill the position. I expect Ohio State to find a capable defensive coordinator, but they might slip back on the defensive side of the ball. That might have been expected anyway since they lost eight starters on defense. This is another chance for Ryan Day to put his stamp on the program with a huge hire, and I would expect him to make the right choice.
