Early in the 2024 regular season, James Franklin identified the linebackers as a spot where he wanted more depth to be developed in case of injuries.

While that group made its way through the season relatively unscathed, the defensive tackle room is down two players heading into the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Redshirt senior Hakeem Beamon left the team in early November and Alonzo Ford Jr. suffered a long-term injury against Minnesota, bringing the room down to three players who have seen extensive game action.

Dvon J-Thomas, Coziah Izzard, and Zane Durant have been key pieces to the rotation this year and, along with the defensive ends, have formed one of the best defensive lines in the nation.

J-Thomas has accounted for 27 total tackles this year while adding three tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. Against Oregon alone, J-Thomas posted a season-high five tackles. Izzard sits at 17 tackles with four tackles for loss and a sack.

Franklin described Durant, the third main tackle, as a disruptive presence on the line earlier in the season and believed that the stat sheet didn’t reflect the level of football that the tackle played. Despite recording three sacks and nine tackles for loss, Durant wasn’t named to any All-Big Ten teams at the end of the regular season.

“It is what it is,” Durant said. “I want to be the best in America, but I know who I am so I just have to keep improving that.”

Behind the top three defensive tackles sit true freshman Xavier Gilliam and redshirt freshman Ty Blanding. While not being asked to play many snaps this season, J-Thomas said they’re ready for action if their name is included in the rotation.

Only having three tackles to rotate through is less than ideal, and defensive coordinator Tom Allen said the group would like to have a fourth tackle prepared to enter the rotation. Who that may be, though, is still up in the air.

“You’d like to have at least four without question, but you want to have five as a bonus,” Allen said. “Ty [Blanding] and Xavier [Gilliam] are the two guys we’re constantly evaluating in that spot, and they’re competing to be the fourth guy and the fifth guy.”

J-Thomas has watched as the battle between the two younger players has played out during practice and believes that the future of the defensive tackle room is bright. Injuries are a part of the sport, and it’s something that everyone’s aware of during game preparation.

Blanding has appeared in five games this year, notching three tackles and a tackle for loss. Gilliam has appeared in two games during his first year in Happy Valley, registering one tackle against Maryland.

Allen wants to have at least one player out of the duo ready to slot in as the fourth defensive tackle for the rest of the playoffs. Allen said both players have flashed and shown success throughout the season, but it’s up to them to show they deserve the spot.

“You want to see guys rise up because depth is important at every position,” Allen said. “We definitely want to get to four, we’d love to have five, and the ball’s in those guys’ court as to who it’s going to be.”