The Ohio State defense is usually referred to as the “Silver Bullets” because of how physical and athletic the Buckeyes line up defensively.

In addition to the scandal that cost the team their head coach and starting QB, the defense will have to replace seven starters this season, five of whom were drafted into the NFL.

With only four returning starters, it will be up to the depth players—guys who have shown some flashes of brilliance in limited time due to injury or being a backup at the time—to help continue the tradition of the Silver Bullets.

But there is no doubt there will be a tremendous amount of talent on the field defensively.

Here is a look at Ohio State’s seven best defensive players going into the upcoming season.

7. Johnathan Hankins, DT

It’s hard to miss the biggest guy on any defensive line, but to call Johnathan Hankins just a space-eater would probably be considered an insult to him.

At 330 lbs., Hankins is the prototypical two-gap DT with run-stuffing ability.

But by no means is Hankins a slow tackle. He does have very underrated quickness for his size, and he looks smaller than he actually is……