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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Everyone is talking about Ohio State’s secondary.
Devin Sanchez and Jeremaine Mathews. A safety group that has legitimate All-American potential. The Buckeyes’ back-end has been the centerpiece of nearly every defensive conversation heading into the 2026 season, and rightfully so — on paper, it has the makings of one of the best secondaries in the country.
But on the latest episode of Buckeye Talk, Andrew Gillis offered a perspective on the entire defensive conversation: What if the defensive line isn’t just a complementary piece to the secondary — what if it’s the thing that makes the secondary truly special?
“The defensive line might help the secondary more than we think,” Gillis said.
This isn’t a revolutionary concept in football, but in the context of Ohio State’s specific roster construction, it’s an interesting angle. The secondary — led by Sanchez and Mathews — has the talent to be elite in coverage.
If the defensive line can change that equation, even slightly, the ceiling for this entire defense rises significantly.
Gillis spelled out exactly how he sees it working.
“If you can just heat them up a little bit — whoever that quarterback, Arch (Manning) or (Jordan) Maiava or (Josh) Hoover, whoever you’re going to play you give Jermaine and Devin and those safeties the knowledge that like they don’t have to hang on in coverage for a little while.“
Even the best corners in college football become vulnerable when they’re asked to stay in man coverage for four or five seconds on every third down. But a defensive line that can generate consistent pressure — not necessarily sacks, just pressure — fundamentally changes what the secondary is being asked to do.
Ohio State has the pieces to make that happen. Kenyatta Jackson, coming back for his fifth year, is being put in positions to win one-on-one matchups by design. The transfer additions of Qua Russaw, John Walker, and James Smith provide depth and versatility. Zion Grady is stepping into a larger role. Eddrick Houston is a potential high-level NFL Draft pick who brings a rare combination of size and athleticism to the interior.
Stephen Means took it a step further on the episode, noting that while the secondary will likely still be the more celebrated unit, the gap between the two groups might be smaller than most analysts are projecting — and that the defensive line could actually be what elevates the secondary from very good to elite.
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