Ohio State Buckeyes: 7 things to know about the defense

“Young guys + circle drill = energy,” read the Twitter post. “Get better every day.”

There’s a long way to go until the season opener on Sept. 3, but that explains the though process in the first week of camp. Both sides of the ball have questions to answer in practice. Here are seven things to know about the defense:

1. Inexperienced group: The Buckeyes return seven players on defense who have started a total of 44 games. Three players account for 40 of those starts. Cornerback Gareon Conley has 14 career starts. Linebacker Raekwon McMillan has started 13 games, as has defensive end Tyquan Lewis.

“There’s a little bit more sense of urgency,” McMillan said Tuesday. “Last year we were a more developed team going into camp. This year we’ve got a lot of young guys, as everyone around the nation knows. We’ve got to come in every day and perfect our craft.”

2. McMillan a star: McMillan was named a captain after last season, along with center Pat Elflein and quarterback J.T. Barrett. The Buckeyes lost their other starting linebackers, Joshua Perry and Darron Lee, to the NFL, but it was McMillan who led the team in tackles (119) as a sophomore.

“To be honest, Raekwon was really one of the leaders of the defense last year,” defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said. “That middle backer guy has got to have those attributes.”

3. New starters: Juniors Chris Worley and Dante Booker are the new starters at linebacker. Each received significant playing time the last two seasons, but both were stuck behind Perry and Lee.

“You can lay your head on the pillow at night knowing those guys are legitimate guys who live, sleep and breathe our culture,” Fickell said. “(Worley is) kind of the heart and soul in the linebacker room. Defensively, he’s that guy who provides energy every single day, from his demeanor to what he says, to how he plays the game. (Urban Meyer) will tell you, he loves to be around him. Dante Booker is one of those guys, too.”

4. Depth at linebacker: Behind the starters at linebacker, Fickell likes the depth.

“That’s where the youth is,” Fickell said. “I’ll promise you this: Jerome Baker is going to give every single guy in that room a push. He can push Worley. Justin Hillard is going to give those guys push. We’ve got to continue to find ways to push Raekwon McMillan. Craig Fada is going to give him some push.

5. Early practices important: Of the 105 players on the roster, 43 are true freshmen or redshirt freshmen. McMillan looks around at all that inexperience and searches for teammates who want to make hits.

“This is a level of football where you can’t be shy,” he said. “You can’t turn your head when it’s time to make contact. Anytime you encounter contact, you’ve got to be ready.”

6. First impressions: Asked what young players have impressed him, McMillan said, "We had a circle drill today, and (defensive back) Rodjay (Burns) stroked somebody. I like seeing that. (Linebacker) Malik Harrison did a little something. The young tight ends, theyr'e solid but they've got to get more into the game. Our whole D-line, they're not young guys but they're solid."

7. One to watch: At 6-foot-4, freshman Nick Bosa is an inch shorter than his brother Joey, but Nick will wear the same No. 97 and will be compared to the former Ohio State defensive line every time he plays.

“He’s different than his brother,” Fickell said. “That’s not good or bad. Maybe he’s an inch shorter. Maybe he’s stronger. There’s a lot of give and take there. But I know personality-wise, he’s a guy who provides that charisma. I can assure you he’s got some great confidence in what he does.”