Ohio State Buckeyes Coach Ripped for Latest Recruiting Flub

The Ohio State Buckeyes generally aren't accustomed to losing recruiting battles, but they have been struggling in one particular area the past couple of years: the defensive line.

Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson just can't seem to land top defensive end prospects, most recently losing Carter Meadows to Michigan (of all teams) and Landon Barnes to Ole Miss.

These two instances are far from the only recruiting misfires by Johnson, and the Buckeyes are in a very bad position at defensive end for the future as a result.

Ryan Stano of Scarlet & Game is clearly fed up with Johnson's fading recruiting chops and took him to task following his two latest flubs.

"Johnson has not been doing good things so far this year. He won two national championships, and it would have been nice if he had ridden off into the sunset after last season. Instead, he continues to pile up the recruiting losses at a very key spot on the depth chart," Stano wrote. "Ohio State fans are starting to become very frustrated with Johnson and his lack of recruiting ability at his age. ... It's pretty clear that Johnson is over the hill at this point in his coaching career."

Now 73 years old, Johnson has been serving as the Buckeyes' defensive line coach since 2014, and during the first half of his tenure, he did a magnificent job, helping build some of the best defenses in the country. However, he absolutely seems to have lost his touch in his latter years.

Not only has Ohio State been failing to land top defensive end recruits, but defensive tackle has become a serious problem, as well, which once again falls on Johnson's shoulders.