Rutgers Scarlet Knights Defensive Players To Watch vs. Ohio State

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights defense ranked 38th in total defense and 95th in scoring defense last season.

The Ohio State Buckeyes' offense had to work from behind to start after a muffed punt from wide receiver Emeka Egbuka led to a Rutgers Scarlet Knights touchdown.

However, that first-quarter blemish didn't slow down Ohio State's offense and moving the ball — like it has been in the nine contests — was a thing of ease. The Buckeyes' offense carried on its streak of scoring at least 49 points against the Scarlet Knights, posting 413 yards as well.

While Rutgers will need a defensive overhaul to slow down the Ohio State offense next year, here are three players the Buckeyes will need to have their eye on when the two take the field Nov. 4.

LB Deion Jennings

Rutgers' leading tackler from a season ago returns for his senior season ready to anchor its defense yet again.

Standing 6-1 and weighing 230 pounds, linebacker Deion Jennings can play sideline-to-sideline as evidenced by his 91 tackles, which ranked seventh in the Big Ten last season.

Last season, Ohio State ran for 252 yards — the most against the Scarlet Knights since 2017 — and it will be important for Jennings to plug TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams' running lanes.

DL Aaron Lewis

The only Scarlet Knight that earned All-Big Ten honors last season was defensive end Aaron Lewis.

He was a wrecking ball off the edge of Rutgers' defensive line, recording a whopping 55 tackles, eight for loss, 1.5 sacks and hitting the quarterback 10 times.

Ohio State will be trotting out two new tackles, whomever they may be, this season, and by week 10, you'd like to think the growing pains of the position would be flushed out.

Either way, keeping No. 71 out of the quarterback's lap will be one of Justin Frye's top priorities come the first week of November.

CB Max Melton

Cornerback Max Melton had 33 tackles, two for loss, two interceptions and 10 pass break-ups, which was second on the Scarlet Knights a season ago behind Jaguars' Christian Braswell.

Braswell is gone, so Melton will garner the opposition's No. 1 assignment, and in this case, it'll be Marvin Harrison Jr.

Harrison said at Big Ten Media Days that "there's a corner from Rutgers that's pretty good," so it's unclear if he was talking about Braswell or Melton. Either way, he will look to improve on his three-catch, 18-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Scarlet Knights.

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