Ohio State DL coach Larry Johnson continues to cement his legacy as a college football great

Buckeye Talk PodcastOhio State's Larry Johnson is arguably the best defensive line coach in college football history. Getty ImagesBy Buckeye Talk Podcast, cleveland.comAdvance Local Express DeskCOLUMBUS, Ohio — Every offseason, the retirement rumors start. Every year, Larry Johnson responds by landing another elite recruiting class, developing another first-round draft pick and continuing to do things at an age when most people step away from football.On the latest episode of Buckeye Talk, hosts Stephen Means and Andrew Gillis didn’t just praise Ohio State’s defensive line — they made a full-throated case that Johnson might be operating at a level the college football world still isn’t fully appreciating.Means opened the position group breakdown by giving the defensive line a rare A+ — a grade he hadn’t handed out to any group yet in the “State of the Program” series. But the real conversation wasn’t just about the current roster. It was about what Johnson has built, sustained and continues to build at an age that defies all logic for a profession as physically and mentally demanding as recruiting and coaching elite defensive linemen.“Larry might arguably be the best defensive line coach in the history of college football,” Means said. Ohio State’s defensive line carries more risk than you thinkSetting expectations for Ohio State football’s 2026 defensive lineHow Ohio State football can shut down a championship narrative sparked by these SEC coachesFive-star 2027 running back David Gabriel Georges inching closer to massive decision between Ohio State and TennesseeThat’s not a throwaway line. Look at the production. J.T. Tuimoloau. Jack Sawyer. Tyleik Williams. Mike Hall. Ty Hamilton. Kayden McDonald. Johnson’s room has produced an assembly line of NFL talent that few programs at any level can match, and it’s been happening year after year while the rest of college football turns over rosters at a dizzying pace.What makes the Buckeye Talk conversation so compelling is that Means and Gillis don’t just celebrate the production — they dig into why Johnson might be underrated despite all of it.“I feel like we’ve spent so much time highlighting other position groups whether for good or for the bad that we have not spent enough time dealing with the fact that Larry Johnson is in his mid-70s and he is doing what he is doing,” Means said.It’s a fair point. When Brian Hartline was running one of the best wide receiver rooms in the country, he rightfully earned the spotlight. When James Laurinaitis came in and quickly reshaped the linebacker group, that became the shiny new story. Meanwhile, Johnson has been a consistent, relentless force — the baseline that Ohio State’s defense is built around — and the conversation often moves past him before it properly lands.The 2027 recruiting class is a perfect example. David Jacobs, Marcus Fakatou, Wyatt Smith and Karlos May form what could legitimately become a class with three five-star defensive linemen by the time December rankings are finalized. And the retirement rumors? Means put those to rest with one of the episode’s funniest and most pointed observations — that Johnson recruited Eddrick Houston partly on the strength of his continued presence on the staff, and by the time Houston’s career is over, Johnson might still be coaching.“Larry Johnson at bare minimum might last as long in college as Eddrick Houston. Like he might end up — he might play through Larry Johnson’s career,“ Gillis said. The Buckeye Talk crew frames it perfectly: while everyone debates who the best position coach on Ohio State’s staff is right now, Johnson has been quietly doing this for over a decade at an elite level. He’s the Mike Evans of position coaches — a sure-thing Hall of Famer that people somehow still have to be reminded about.This article was produced with assistance from AI tools and reviewed by Cleveland.com staff.