Purdue Boilermakers Defensive Players to Watch vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

Freshman Dillon Thieneman looks to add to his impressive numbers, while sack-leader Kydran Jenkins aims to take advantage of a shaky Ohio State Buckeyes offensive line.

The numbers did not speak well for the Purdue Boilermakers defense last season. The Boilermakers finished ranked No. 90 in team passing efficiency defense, No. 52 in total defense and No. 51 in rushing defense.

A midseason test against the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes will be a terrific chance for Purdue to gain some reputation points and make up for their poor stats in 2022.

If the Boilermakers are to fare well against the Buckeyes, these are some of the guys who will need to shine:

Dillon Thieneman, DB

If there is anyone on the Purdue Boilermakers roster who can limit the Ohio State passing attack, it's Thieneman.

The freshman from nearby Carmel, Indiana has certainly been a welcomed surprise for Purdue, whose defense is currently ranked as one of the worst in the country. Thieneman stands out amongst his teammates in almost every defensive category, leading the Boilermakers in solo tackles (41), solo tackles (53) and interceptions (3).

Shutting down Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord and his arsenal of high-caliber receivers is a tall order to ask of Thieneman. No doubt plenty of eyes will be watching how he measures up against one of the best offenses in the nation on Saturday.

Sanoussi Kane, DB

Kane has shown he is capable of taking on a larger role in the Purdue defense, having made the jump from playing four games in 2021 to 14 last season.

The Harlem, New York native has 42 total tackles (second on the team behind Thieneman) through the first six games of the season, which is 12 more than he did at the same point last year. Kane also has a sack against Illinois and a forced fumble against Virginia Tech on his 2023 record.

Kane will have to match the speed of Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and the rest of the Buckeyes receivers if the Boilermakers want to have any chance of defeating Ohio State this weekend.

Kydran Jenkins, LB

It should be no surprise Jenkins makes this list of players whom Ohio State should watch out for.

Almost all of the buzz in Columbus this week has been about the shaky performance of the Buckeyes offensive line against Maryland last weekend. Ohio State coach Ryan Day even mentioned during his Tuesday press conference that he thought the second-string linemen weren't pushing the starters enough at practice.

This sets the stage for a potential career-high performance from Jenkins, who leads Purdue's defense with four sacks for a total of 37 yards.

Ohio State travels to Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday, October 14. Kickoff is scheduled for noon eastern on NBC's streaming service, Peacock.