That marked the latest twist in the story of a position that ended up getting a lot more inches in print and pixels online than it did snaps on the field last fall.
First, Knowles was calling it the âLeo.â Then he said the name would be âJackâ until someone rose above the rest to make it there own because Leo is for lion, the king of the jungle.
He envisioned using the Jack, a hybrid defensive end/linebacker, one third or even 40 percent of the time, but that number ended up at more like 15 according to Knowles.
The reason?
âWe werenât as productive out of it,â he said. âYou have to go with what works.â
To make matters worse, trying coincidentally named sophomore Jack Sawyer at the position might have stunted his growth, so Sawyer is going to be a full-time defensive end this spring in an effort to help him reach the potential he brought as a five-star recruit two years ago.
However, if the position is out of sight over the 15 practices, it is not out of Knowlesâ mind.
In fact, he already has at least one player in mind for it who is not full-go this spring as he recovers from a knee injury suffered in the 2022 spring game: Mitchell Melton.
âI want to see him back to where he was, right?â Knowles said. âI thought he had a real chance. So we moved him from a linebacker to the front when I got here and then started experimenting with him in the Jack position and he jumped out. He jumped out. He really did.â
Melton is able to do individual work but is sitting out team drills in hopes of getting him to the fall at full strength.
He could make sense as the Jack because he is something of a âtweener. At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, he is on the big side for a modern linebacker in todayâs college football and small for a typical end.
Knowles said in the future the staff will look for potential Jacks in recruiting and indicated athletes without an obvious position would be the blueprint, at least as much as there is one.
âNo, I mean I think he could be a tailback,â Knowles said, repeating a previously told anecdote about his first Jack/Leo being MAC Defensive Player of the Year and 10-year NFL player Jason Babin at Western Michigan.
âHe was a tailback in high school, so I think what youâre looking for is someone whoâs just an extremely productive football player but doesnât fit into anyoneâs mold. That guy the D-line coach says is not big enough or the linebacker coach says he doesnât read well enough. The running back coach says, âWell, heâs a really good player, but heâs not one of the top three running backs in the country.â And I feel like eventually weâll have something to sell in that area. Weâre Ohio State.â
Tegra Tshabola of Lakota West potential starter on Ohio State offensive line https://t.co/MGBqeZq7UA
— Marcus Hartman (@marcushartman) March 9, 2023
Although the âJackâ is a common name for one of the outside linebackers in various versions of the 3-4 defense, and Ohio State once called its rush end the âLeoâ during the Jim Tressel era, the position in Knowlesâ defense is unique from both.
He has described it as a chess piece that can be moved around the defensive front to mess up blocking schemes and âplay offense on defense.â
Aside from being a home for an overlooked recruit, it could ironically be an outlet for getting one of Ohio Stateâs top recent recruits onto the field, too.
Knowles said he has considered trying C.J. Hicks, a sophomore linebacker stuck behind veterans Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers, at the Jack when it does return.
Hicks, who played just about every position at Alter High School, endorsed that idea Thursday even though he had not actually spoken to Knowles about it himself.
âI feel like I can be a good player at the Jack,â the 6-3, 230-pound Hicks said. âYou know, in high school I rushed the passer a lot, but itâs up to Coach Knowles and his defense.â
About the Author