One position bound to be essential for the Buckeyes to have success in the 2026 season is the defensive line.
It was one area that Ohio State targeted heavily over the offseason in the transfer portal, adding James Smith and John Walker on the interior and Qua Russaw on the edge.
Early in fall camp, Smith had made the move from his usual three-tech position to nose guard and he has been playing over center next to Eddrick Houston with the starters, which has put Walker in a backup role behind Smith.
Walker sees the depth in the front four and he thinks the competition he’s getting for playing time is only going to help each of them.
“It’s great competition,” Walker said. “We have great defensive tackles, like James, he’s a great ballplayer. We have Will (Smith Jr.), Eddrick (Houston), Jason Moore. Those guys are so good and we all compete.”
Walker isn’t worried about where he is on the depth chart because of that depth, and he knows that he can make an impact for the Buckeyes this season.
He is confident in his abilities because Ohio State came after him in the portal and wanted him to be a part of the 2026 roster.
“I feel good because they brought me in and they want me to be a part of this. They need me,” Walker said. “We all have to do our jobs, and if we do our jobs, we’re going to do good things.”
When it comes to Walkers decision to come to Ohio State and compete the way he is, it was longtime defensive line coach Larry Johnson who was vital to the process.
Johnson recruited Walker out of high school when he was ranked as a top-100 player in the 2023 class. Walker was familiar with both Johnson and OSU because of that recruiting process, and what he saw and heard over the offseason when he was in the portal only made his decision easier.
He wanted to be coached by Johnson.
“I’m trying to be a sponge and just soak everything up that he tells me,” Walker said. “I’m trying to be really sound on my technique and listen to everything he’s saying because he’s a legend. He’s been doing this for a long time so I’m listening to everything he’s saying and going on the field and working at it.”
While Walker said that he feels his game is starting to come together now that he’s getting that expertise from Johnson, he said that there have been some things that he’s been trying to work on.
“Discipline with your eyes,” Walker said. “If you’re really locked in with your eyes and disciplined on your keys and your pad level, your hands, all these formations and all sorts of things, it makes you play a lot faster.”
The competition is also a good thing, according to Walker, because each player on the roster has one goal in mind, and that’s to win a Big Ten title and a national championship.
“At the end of the day, we’re all here for one goal, which is to win, then of course to do great things ourselves,” Walker said. “We’re trying to figure things out and work as one.”
