Saint Nick? No, but Bosa makes huge impact on OSU defense

COLUMBUS – Nick Bosa is so laid back, he always looks and sounds like he's going to fall asleep in mid-sentence when meeting with reporters.

Like his equally mellow older brother Joey, Bosa seems to save all of his energy for chasing quarterbacks. And nobody has done it better this season for Ohio State than the 6-4, 270-pound sophomore defensive end.

Although OSU's depth up front has kept Bosa from getting the same amount of reps as some of the nation's other top defensive linemen, he leads the Buckeyes with seven sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss heading into the Dec. 29 Cotton Bowl against USC.

It's the less flamboyant side of his personality Bosa knows he'll need to change before next season as the D-line gets set to say goodbye to certain NFL draft picks in Tyquan Lewis, Jalyn Holmes, Tracy Sprinkle and junior Sam Hubbard (as good as gone since he participated in the team's Senior Tackle ritual).

"I'll have to be more vocal next year," Bosa said. "We're going to have a lot of young guys and a lot of guys who haven't  played in games yet. I think I lead by example already, but (now it's about) taking the vocal (lead) ... just pushing guys."

When asked if next year's D line could be as good as this one, Bosa raised the bar.

Even better.

He believes third-year sophomore tackle Dre'Mont Jones will return after just scratching the surface of his pass-rushing potential and he's also excited about lining up outside with freshman Chase Young and sophomore Jonathan Cooper, who like Bosa were five-star recruits.

"We're all really specialists in pass rushing," Bosa said. "Dre'Mont is going to finally get some third down reps in the nickel package and he's one of the best pass rushers I've ever seen in practice, so people haven't really seen that aspect of his game. He's fun to watch."

Bosa was named the Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, an honor his brother won twice before leaving after his junior year and being selected by the San Diego Chargers with the third pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

By also being selected as a first team All-American, Bosa also gets a tree alongside his brother's in the Buckeye Grove.

"We've already got the spot," Bosa said. "It's pretty awesome."

Bosa won't be able to match what his brother did as a sophomore — win a national championship. But it's definitely on his agenda for next year, which will be his last as a Buckeye.

He all but guaranteed he'll leave early for the NFL like his brother during OSU's final media session in Columbus prior to the bowl game.

He admitted he feels like he's ready for the pros right now.

"But an extra year of development is really important," he said. "I think I'll be a lot more ready next year.

"I'm not even close to where I could be. Every day, I'm looking for something to get better. I watched film on Joey. The biggest jump he made was from his sophomore to junior year. His stats weren't the same, obviously, because he was getting triple-teamed and everybody knew who he was, but the jump he made as a player is why he's doing what he's doing now (as one of the best defensive players in the NFL)."

The younger Bosa's impact was never felt more than when the Buckeyes didn't have his services. He got ejected for targeting with three minutes left in the first half of a 17-17 game at Iowa.

The huge underdog Hawkeyes scored the go-ahead touchdown on the next play and added another TD before halftime for a 31-17 lead that turned into 55-24 rout and essentially crushed Ohio State's playoff hopes.

For all of the NFL talent the Buckeyes have on the D line, they are clearly a different team when Bosa is on the field. That's the silver lining in suffering so many departures after the bowl game. He'll likely get more reps next season.

"i want to play every meaningful (down) in the game, and I've always wanted to do that," Bosa said. "I've gotten everything I wanted personally, and just seeing the success of my teammates makes it even better."

Actually, he hasn't gotten everything he wants. But he's reluctant to talk about getting a national championship ring like his brother because there's still a big game to play this season that could have a huge carry-over effect for the winner.

"I felt the feeling of a Big Ten championship and that was unbelievable, so just thinking about what it would feel like to be a leader on the team and be an integral part of a national championship game win ... I think we're going to have a really good chance," Bosa said. "I know the defense is going to be set. That's No. 1 on my wanna-do list."