← the board · drewhoover.com · 2024–2026
Ohio's best defenders since 2024
DJ Walker leads with 145 tackles in 34 games at Ohio; Jack Fries had 101.
Every defender with 5 or more games at Ohio since 2024, ranked by tackles; the lines are each player's tackles game by game, the top 8 drawn. A link opens the player's page, where he has one, or his row on the board.
83 defenders with 5+ games at Ohiotackles
| # | player | seasons | games | tackles | sacks | tackles for loss | interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DJ Walker | 2024–2026 | 34 | 145 | 0 | 18 | 3 |
| 2 | Jack Fries | 2024–2026 | 21 | 101 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| 3 | Blake Leake | 2024 | 14 | 94 | 0.5 | 6 | 1 |
| 4 | Dustin Johnson | 2024 | 14 | 77 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 5 | Charlie Christopher | 2025–2026 | 12 | 71 | 1.5 | 4 | 0 |
| 6 | Marcel Walker-Burgess | 2024 | 14 | 56 | 6 | 8 | 1 |
| 7 | Michael Mack II | 2024–2025 | 20 | 50 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 8 | Ben McNaboe | 2024 | 13 | 45 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| 9 | Cameron Hollobaugh | 2025 | 10 | 45 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 10 | Nehemiah Dukes | 2025–2026 | 18 | 43 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 11 | JT Haskins | 2024–2026 | 12 | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | Kendall Bannister | 2024–2026 | 12 | 38 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 13 | Jay Crable | 2024–2025 | 15 | 36 | 6 | 9 | 0 |
| 14 | Anas Luqman | 2025 | 12 | 34 | 4 | 10 | 0 |
| 15 | CJ Doggette Jr. | 2024 | 13 | 32 | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| 16 | Cam Rice | 2024 | 12 | 30 | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| 17 | Nathan Hale | 2024–2026 | 19 | 29 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 18 | Stellan Bowman | 2024 | 10 | 26 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 19 | Evan Herrmann | 2025–2026 | 13 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 20 | Pius Odjugo | 2025 | 9 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 21 | Ike Ackerman | 2025–2026 | 6 | 25 | 5.5 | 7 | 0 |
| 22 | Jermaine Minnis | 2026 | 5 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 23 | Darren James-Hamilton | 2026 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Ronald Jackson Jr. | 2025–2026 | 9 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 25 | Barry Dillon | 2026 | 7 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 26 | Derek Reagans | 2025–2026 | 13 | 17 | 1.5 | 6 | 0 |
| 27 | Tyler Gillison | 2026 | 7 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 28 | Austin Mitchell | 2024–2025 | 10 | 14 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 |
| 29 | Ty Neubert | 2025–2026 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 30 | Joseph Marsh | 2025–2026 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 31 | Makel Williams | 2025 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Chris Mayfield | 2024 | 6 | 9 | 0.5 | 3 | 0 |
| 33 | Owen DiFranco | 2025–2026 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Tony Mathis | 2024 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | DJ Morton | 2024–2026 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Rickey Hyatt Jr. | 2025 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Tank Pearson | 2023–2025 | 31 | — | — | — | 8 |
| 38 | Adonis Williams Jr. | 2022–2025 | 30 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 39 | Kylan Nelson | 2014–2018 | 26 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 40 | Jalen Thomeson | 2023–2025 | 24 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 41 | Bradley Weaver | 2021–2024 | 23 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 42 | Devin Bass | 2012–2015 | 23 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 43 | Roman Parodie | 2021–2024 | 21 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 44 | Michael Molnar | 2023–2026 | 19 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 45 | Bralen Henderson | 2021–2024 | 18 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 46 | Shay Taylor | 2023–2024 | 17 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 47 | Austin Brawley | 2022–2024 | 15 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 48 | Bryce Houston | 2021–2023 | 14 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 49 | Keye Thompson | 2019–2023 | 14 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 50 | Kadin Schmitz | 2023–2024 | 13 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 51 | Javon Hagan | 2016–2019 | 12 | — | — | — | 6 |
| 52 | Nathan Carpenter | 2011–2015 | 12 | — | — | — | 7 |
| 53 | Quentin Poling | 2014–2017 | 12 | — | — | — | 7 |
| 54 | Kaci Seegars | 2023–2025 | 11 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 55 | Rodney Mathews | 2021–2023 | 11 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 56 | Tariq Drake | 2018–2022 | 11 | — | — | — | 8 |
| 57 | Ben Johnson | 2020–2023 | 10 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 58 | Torrie Cox Jr. | 2022–2023 | 10 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 59 | Alvin Floyd | 2018–2022 | 9 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 60 | Jack McCrory | 2019–2022 | 9 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 61 | Justin Birchette | 2021–2023 | 9 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 62 | Chad Moore | 2016–2017 | 8 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 63 | Bradd Ellis | 2016–2017 | 7 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 64 | Casey Sayles | 2013–2016 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 65 | Kyle Kelly | 2020–2022 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 66 | Pierre Kemeni Jr. | 2021–2025 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 67 | Toran Davis | 2014–2016 | 7 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 68 | Vonnie Watkins | 2022–2023 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 69 | Walter Reynolds | 2023 | 7 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 70 | Evan Croutch | 2016–2018 | 6 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 71 | Jarren Hampton | 2018–2021 | 6 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 72 | Jeremiah Wood | 2021–2023 | 6 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 73 | Jovon Johnson | 2013–2015 | 6 | — | — | — | 6 |
| 74 | Kwame Sutton | 2023 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 75 | Will Evans | 2017–2021 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 76 | Bryce Dugan | 2021–2022 | 5 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 77 | Caden Campolieti | 2021–2023 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 78 | Dylan Stevens | 2021–2023 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 79 | Grant Cunningham | 2014–2017 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 80 | Jalen Fox | 2016–2018 | 5 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 81 | Marlin Brooks | 2018–2019 | 5 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 82 | Randy Stites | 2016 | 5 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 83 | Rayyan Buell | 2023 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
Also at Ohio: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers, punters. Every school and conference: schools, conferences. The games are ESPN's box scores since 2004 (the Method says where they fall short); a position is the roster's, else read off the box score, so a tight end from before 2014 may be listed with the wide receivers.