Watkins, Bobcats' defense look for a strong start to 2023

ATHENS — Ohio’s loaded offense has the firepower to outscore nearly any opponent that lines up across from them. The prospect of a high-scoring affair shouldn’t worry the Bobcats as much as other programs.
Even still, there’s a common belief that stands true in order for Ohio to reach the pinnacle of the mountain top this season. Defense wins championships.
By the end of the 2022 season, Ohio had worked themselves into being a middle of the road type of defense in the MAC. The team finished sixth in the conference in points allowed (28.3) but were second to last in yards allowed (426.9) despite winning double-digit contests.
As discussed before, it was a tale of two halves for the Bobcats defense last season. The team would allow at least 31 in each of the first six games of the year, including a 52 point performance from Fordham at Peden Stadium.
A flip somehow switched midway through October. Over the final six regular season games and the MAC championship, Ohio’s defense held opponents to under 18 points-per-game. That would’ve been the best numbers in the MAC by far had that been the case all season.
Over the same span, Ohio held opponents to 328 yards of offense on average, which would’ve finished second in the league if kept over the entire season.
A defense that started off abysmal quickly turned into one of the best in the conference. While the Bobcats keep the same linebacking core from last season, there’s a litany of movement elsewhere.
With revolving pieces on the defensive line, Vonnie Watkins is primed to shine after a breakout season in 2022.
Originally a tight end in the class of 2017, Watkins appeared in a total of seven games before the 2022 season. The Maryland native would secure a key spot last season, starting 12 games while grabbing 34 tackles, 10 of those being for a loss. He would also grab 2.5 sacks while forcing a pair of fumbles.
Coming into 2023, there’s a different level of expectation for Watkins. Having his name littered around various preseason All-MAC selections, there’s some real expectations for the 6-4 graduate student this go around.
“This summer, I felt way more involved. I got a couple of pieces to come here from different schools. I feel like the coaches trust me more and with the plays and knowing my plays and everything so they give me free ability to change up the defensive front and everything like that,” Watkins said in an interview with the Messenger after practice on Tuesday. “It’s just really great to feel that my coaches have that confidence in me, that I could do that.”
It’s not just outside noise though. Watkins understands the responsibility about to be put on him and has been working throughout the offseason to make sure he’s a force this year.
“The offseason was really just focusing on finishing my pass rush reps basically and being more physical. That’s what we worked on all offseason,” Watkins mentioned. “We took some steps towards being better in that direction.”
The preseason attention doesn’t necessarily hurt him in any way, but Watkins doesn’t seem like the type to really dwell on those things. He was more upset that he was one of the only ones on the defensive side, aside from the linebackers, to really be getting media attention before the pads go on.
“It feels good but we’ve got way more people on defense who should’ve been on there. I’m not just worried about me, I’m worried about the whole team. I feel like a couple of my defensive players got snubbed but it’s alright, we’re going to prove them wrong this year.”
Defense in football is a bit ironic. You spend all this time preparing and practicing in order to be able to guess what an offense is about to run, only for it to be thrown out of the window in the middle of a game. In-game adjustments aside, defensive play is really about one thing. See ball, hit ball.
All the preparation in the world gets tossed aside if the team doesn’t play aggressively and attack the ball. Everybody within the program can talk about how the defense would like to get off to a hot start to begin the year, but there’s really only one thing that can make it happen. They just have to do it.
“We’re just going to try and keep our foot on the gas every play, every game. We’re going to try to limit our mistakes, be more technically sound so that way we know what the offense is doing, and when they do it, we just beat them to it.”
It’s not just Watkins and the star-studded linebackers who are going to make that dream a reality. A mixture of veterans and some new blood will be crucial in Ohio’s goals. Practice has only been going on for around a week, but Watkins already has his eyes on some breakout stars.
“Ooh, we got a couple of pieces. I think Kwame Sutton, he’s definitely going to be a help on the defensive line. I think Miles [Fleming], Miles is definitely going to be a big help in the back end too.”
Sutton is a lineman making his debut this season, coming over from Austin Peay over the offseason after picking up 36 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Fleming, a Columbus native, is a transfer safety from Minnesota who has struggled to consistently get on the field for the Golden Gophers over the past three seasons.
All eyes are on the offense, but a defense led by Bryce Houston, Keye Thomspon and Watkins are motivated and built to be able to compete for a MAC crown this year.