Ohio State Football: What You Need to Know About Buckeyes DT Michael Bennett

Ever since Urban Meyer came to Ohio State, he has prioritized his recruiting to adding defensive line depth—the key to the great defenses he had at Florida.

One of the holdovers whom Meyer had already waiting in the wings was sophomore Michael Bennett, who has played both end and tackle on the Buckeye D-line so far in his short college career.

Bennett came to Ohio State as a freshman last year from Centerville (OH) and was ranked as the No. 8 DT in the 2011 class, which was good enough for a 4-star ranking.

DT is already a position of strength on this football team with starters Johnathan Hankins and Garrett Goebel, along with true freshmen Adolphus Washington and Tommy Schutt moving up the ladder.

Bennett, however, is listed as both a DE and a DT because of his size (285 lbs.) and quickness off the line.

That explosiveness helped Bennett make an immediate impact as a true freshman, as he recorded three sacks and 13 solo tackles a year ago.

However, Bennett's name is forgotten mostly because of the combination of Simon, Hankins and the deep freshmen class up front.

Bennett has the ability though to be just as good as any of the players up front because of his size and speed. In a way, Bennett, like Washington, has a similar build to former OSU standout Cameron Heyward.

Washington is expected to play DT starting this season, while Bennett is more likely to play all over the line. He probably won't start unless Nathan Williams isn't ready to go, but should see his fair share of downs, especially in pass-rushing situations.

Defensive coordinators Luke Fickell and Everett Withers should have an idea of how to keep Bennett on the field as much as possible, whether he wins a starting job or mans a situational role.

Bennett does have the kind of talent that can't be ignored, he just needs to gain some experience.

Of course, with the great amount of depth Ohio State boasts up front, anyone who gets significant playing time will have undoubtedly earned it.

It comes down to who is more relentless and who will get after it more when they're on the field.

Michael Bennett certainly has all the physical tools to be that guy, and then some.

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