Jim Knowles reveals which veteran has impressed on defense

As Jim Knowles gets settled in as Ohio State defensive coordinator, he’s already seeing some players jump off the page through spring ball. He pointed to one veteran in particular who’s standing out this week.

Knowles called out Taron Vincent as someone who’s stood out so far. He added he used Vincent as an example for the younger players to show them how to practice with effort and follow his example as a leader.

“I’ve been impressed with Taron,” Knowles told reporters. “I highlighted him the other day for all the young guys to see. Here is a veteran, and I highlighted him chasing a receiver down the field a good 20-25 yards and coming with a chop attempt at the ball.

“That’s just a great example for all the young guys. I’ve been impressed with his leadership and his effort. Even though he is a veteran, he gives a lot in practice.”

Vincent is coming back for his fifth year with the Buckeyes and has been a staple on the defensive line over the last four seasons. He played in 27 games over that time and totaled 35 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks during that time.

Jim Knowles discusses logjam of talent in Ohio State linebacker room

Through spring ball, Jim Knowles is getting to know his linebacker room at Ohio State. This week, he addressed his logjam of talent — which might not necessarily be a bad thing.

Ohio State returns quite a group of linebackers this coming season, and that could make Knowles’ job tough as he takes over for Kerry Coombs as the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator. Through spring ball, his goal is to see what they can do before he makes any decisions.

“You have to be able to make an assessment,” Knowles said. “In order to make an assessment, you’ve got to get the guys repetitions. And there’s a lot of talent, but none of it is completely proven, right? Because you have guys all competing for positions. So that’s where you want to take guys and maybe move them to other positions just to get a chance to look at them.

“I think Tommy [Eichenberg] has been a great leader for us. I’ve really liked what I’ve seen out of Tommy. I think he’s mastering the defense quickly and making plays. He’s quiet, but he’s fierce. Teradja [Mitchell] is also a guy who leads in more of a vocal way than Tommy. But he gives us a lot of that energy.”