Here are five things we learned from the first week of Ohio State’s spring practice:

Jim Knowles could diversify the defense

For as much as Knowles has had a reputation for being a mad scientist, devising imaginative schemes, he simplified the defense last year.

It was partly a response to the explosive plays that crippled the Buckeyes in losses late in 2022.

But Knowles appears set to experiment a bit more this spring as he prepares for his third season as defensive coordinator.

Following the second practice on Thursday, he mentioned the possibility of installing a package akin to the double-eagle flex.

To use the five-man front once popularized by Arizona’s “Desert Swarm” defense three decades ago, he proposed lining up Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau as outside linebackers with three defensive linemen.

“If we’re strong inside,” Knowles said, “those guys can become more multiple.”

The idea is rooted in handling heavy personnel.

When the Buckeyes have faced bigger groupings in recent seasons, they have varied from their 4-2-5 base defense by swapping a safety for an extra linebacker in a 4-3 alignment.

In Knowles’ mind, another option in those situations would be to add fifth lineman instead of the third linebacker.

The continuity on that side of the ball, as the Buckeyes returned most of their nucleus from last season, figures to provide more opportunities to add variety.

The quarterback competition looks compelling

Devin Brown projected confidence last Monday when he met with reporters on the eve of spring practice.

He dismissed those who expect he will transfer as “cowards” and asserted he would compete for the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback job “no matter what.”

In the limited windows of practice open to the media, Brown showed the same assuredness as he led the passers through drills.

The perception remains that Will Howard, a seasoned starting quarterback from Kansas State who transferred to Ohio State for his final year of eligibility, will rise to the top of the depth chart in the months ahead.

But it might not be a coronation. Brown is battle-tasted, having gone through the rigors of an offseason competition a year ago when he pushed Kyle McCord in a duel that continued into September, and has two years of experience in the program, more than any of the other passers.

Bigger stages await the quarterbacks, from padded practices and intrasquad scrimmages to the spring game on April 13, that will shape the race, but in the early days, Brown looked intent on making the competition interesting.

More: Join the Ohio State Sports Insider text group with Bill Rabinowitz, Joey Kaufman Adam Jardy

Little change on the offensive line

It seemed like the right side of the offensive line was prime to be reconfigured.

Tackle Josh Fryar struggled with pass protection in his debut season as a starter. According to Pro Football Focus, Fryar allowed five sacks. Only two linemen in the Big Ten gave up more last season.

A month ahead of spring practice, coach Ryan Day acknowledged the possibility of sliding him inside to guard to replace Matt Jones, the only starter who did not return.

“Josh has a little bit of a swing capability,” Day said.

But the Buckeyes opted for less of a shuffle with Luke Montgomery, who was a backup tackle as a freshman last season, filling in at right guard along the first-team offensive line.

Day seemed bullish on Montgomery’s ability as a guard, pointing to his athleticism and quickness in picking up blocks in the interior.

“He can get on guys quickly and he can bend,” Day said. “That’s very, very important in that position. With some of the schemes we’re running, we think he has the skill set to go do it.”

If Montgomery makes a favorable impression and Fryar sees improvement handling edge rushers, there will be fewer moving parts in the trenches as guard Donovan Jackson and tackle Josh Simmons are both back on the left side.

The ‘jack’ may remain tabled

The possible introduction of the “double eagle” package could come at the expense of the “jack,” a hybrid defensive end and linebacker position.

Knowles has long featured the “jack” as part of his defense, first implementing it as the defensive coordinator at Western Michigan in the early 2000s, but it has not caught on at Ohio State.

It was shelved last season after the Buckeyes “dabbled” with it in 2022 following Knowles’ arrival.

“It’s always in our package,” Knowles said, “so at some point, we’d like to get to it just to keep it fresh.”

Knowles has found the Buckeyes have not had ideal candidates for the “jack” role, which often functions as a standup pass rusher, and so he is instead considering whether the Buckeyes have personnel that is better suited to other looks as they expand their scheme.

“You always want to try what is best for the personnel,” Knowles said. “It’s not what I like. Maybe we’re not built for the ‘jack,’ but maybe we could be built for more of a ‘double-eagle’ kind of setup.”

Chip Kelly impacts the ground game

Part of the buzz surrounding the hiring of Kelly as offensive coordinator was the potential for a boost to a rushing attack that has been trending in the wrong direction.

The Buckeyes totaled just 1,805 yards on the ground last fall, their fewest net rushing yards since 2004.

Day suggested on Tuesday that Kelly has already made an imprint.

“He’s made some tweaks to the run game that have been excellent,” Day said, “and it will continue to be that way.”

More: Chip Kelly wants to add tempo to Ohio State’s offense as a side dish, not the main course

Ohio State is not revamping its offense with the arrival of Kelly. The spread offense it has run since Day first arrived as offensive coordinator in 2017 is patterned off the many of the principles he took from Kelly.

Day was an assistant under Kelly in the NFL, serving as his quarterbacks coach with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016 and Philadelphia Eagles in 2015, and a quarterback for him at New Hampshire over two decades ago.

“This is not like two different offenses coming together,” Day said. “A lot of what we've done is what I took from the NFL with him and when I played for him. There’s so many things in common.”

But the extensive experience of the 60-year-old coordinator, between his familiarity with the system and potential to offer new ideas, could allow the Buckeyes to refine certain areas.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch and can be reached at jkaufman@dispatch.com.

Get more Ohio State football news by listening to our podcasts

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football spring practice: 5 things we learned in first week