Right after Ohio State won the national championship, they received crushing news: The departure of their defensive maestro, DC Jim Knowles. He is off to Penn State. Years ago, he couldn’t get into the program as a player but wants to be a part of their legacy as a coach. “Growing up as a kid, Penn State was everything,” he revealed. So now, Ohio needs to search for a new DC, but the bad news doesn’t end here.

Ryan Day is aggressively pursuing five-star Nixa High School recruit Jackson Cantwell. Can they seal the deal? One national analyst offers a glimmer of hope, but as always, take it with a grain of salt.

Speaking to On3, recruiting writer Alex Gleitman said, ”You asked me before, the impact of the national championship on the recruiting trail. I would say no position more than the offensive line is positively impacted by Ohio State’s run to a national title just because of what they were able to do and what Justin Frye showed from a developmental standpoint and a coaching standpoint.”

After a bit of back-and-forth, the Buckeyes’ O-line overcame a series of injuries to lift the trophy. The Buckeyes had eight players enter the portal before the playoff began in December and so, the victory was a hard-earned one.

Additionally, Cantwell, the 6’8″ behemoth, is a prized prospect in the 2026 class, and everyone wants him on their team. Even arch-rival Michigan’s O-line coach is actively recruiting him in addition to other programs looking for his commitment. So, the Buckeyes are in a heated recruiting battle for the five-star offensive tackle.

But coming back to Gleitman, he has some thoughts regarding Cantwell and Ohio: “Losing Josh Simmons in October a projected first-round pick, losing the Rimington Trophy award winner Seth McLaughlin right before the Indiana game in late November and being able to move Donovan Jackson from guard to tackle. Moving Carson Hinzman, who came in at guard. Moving him to the center… and winning a national championship in quite honestly, a dominant fashion over that four-game stretch.

“There may not be a more impressive coaching accomplishment than what Justin Frye did this past year when you look at the landscape of college football and I know that is resonating with offensive lineman including Jackson Cantwell. So I do think Ohio State maybe has its eye there; I think they need to seize the opportunity, get them back on campus this spring, lock down an official visit this summer, and they will be in a mix to have a shot,” Gleitman told ON3’s Josh Newberg.

However, in the last, he sprinkled some doubt, “But I am still taking the field over Ohio State at Jackson Cantwell.”

Ryan Day and Justin Frye paid a visit to Nixa High School, Missouri, just days ago, gauging the player’s interest and the overall recruiting landscape. Cantwell seemingly had a great conversation with the OSU duo as he posted a gratitude message right after the visit. Fans are already getting hyped up for Cantwell to make the move, but Missouri has been lurking behind the bar to add their homegrown talent to the roster.

Even if Ryan Day wins the battle, he has to make sure that the premium coaches are there to chisel out the best out of Cantwell. But that area seems shaky.

OSU: Jim Knowles needs to be replaced…

Jim Knowles has left the building without a notice. As per reports, Knowles left Ohio State because he had some serious conflicts of opinion with a few members of the coaching staff. According to On3’s J.D. Pickell, Knowles had decided to leave the Buckeyes at the end of the season, regardless of whether they won the national title or not.

Now the program must find replacements. Potential candidates include Indiana’s DC Bryant Haines. Let us not forget that the Hoosiers surprised everyone this season after climbing into the top-10 of the national rankings for a large portion of the season. It was also their first go at the College Football Playoff and the biggest reason for their success was their defense, which operated under Haines.

They have some options internally too. Among the coaches available, two of them have defensive playcalling experience. The first one is Matt Guerrieri, who was able to get some great things out of safety Lathan Ransom. Guerrieri was a co-defensive coordinator twice in his career (Duke and Indiana). The other choice?

It is Tim Walton. He was the DC for Miami (FL) in 2007, Memphis in 2008, and the St. Louis Rams in 2013. So it will be interesting to see if the program chooses either of their internal options. What do you think?