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Jim Knowles says defending CJ Stroud is ‘frustrating,’ makes comparison to former NFL star

Keith Farner

By Keith Farner

Published:

Jim Knowles is getting used to the Ohio State roster, and that primarily means facing CJ Stroud in practice.

Knowles continued to install his defense for the Buckeyes, but told reporters that defending Stroud is “frustrating” because he can diagnose what defenses are doing. Knowles even went as far as comparing Stroud to former Ole Miss and NFL quarterback Eli Manning. Knowles was on the Ole Miss staff when Manning played for the Rebels.

About his defense, Knowles said Taron Vincent is one of the defensive linemen who has impressed him most so far, and safety Josh Proctor is a guy who can really change the game.

About LB Tommy Eichenberg, Knowles said, “He’s been a great leader for us … he’s mastering the defense quickly.”

Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson praised Knowles defense for forcing the quarterback and offensive line to work, which can be difficult at times.

“He’s done it long enough, knows what he believes in, knows how to present it,” Wilson said. “He’s presenting it in a way that’s building confidence. I think he’s putting his guys in very, very good positions on the field and they’re feeding off of that.”

H/T Dan Hope and Bill Rabinowitz

Keith Farner

Keith Farner has written about college football for newspapers and web sites since 2005.