Ohio State DT Jason Moore Emerging After Three Seasons in Background
The short version
- Moore has nine tackles, 1.5 TFL and 0.5 sacks through Ohio State's first three games of 2026
- He led Buckeyes defensive tackles with 25 snaps and five tackles in the 59-3 win over Kent State
- Moore played sparingly in 2023-25, never exceeding 60 snaps in a season
- He was a four-star, top-100 recruit from DeMatha Catholic in Maryland in the 2022 class
- Houston and Walker have started all three games; Moore remains in a rotational role
The senior defensive tackle, a former top-100 recruit, has already surpassed his 2025 tackle total through three games of the 2026 season.
Jason Moore spent his first three seasons at Ohio State largely on the sidelines, playing only three snaps as a freshman in 2023 and never exceeding 60 snaps in a season. That has changed early in 2026, where the senior defensive tackle has become a meaningful part of the rotation up front.
Through three games, Moore has nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack, already topping the six tackles he recorded all of last season. He played 21 snaps against Ball State, 27 against Texas and a career-best 25-snap workload against Kent State in a 59-3 win, leading all Buckeyes defensive tackles in playing time in that game and tying Will Smith Jr. for the team lead with five tackles.
Moore's production against Kent State earned an 81.9 grade from Pro Football Focus, second among Ohio State defensive tackles with at least 10 snaps and ahead of both John Walker and Eddrick Houston. Head coach Ryan Day singled him out on 97.1 The Fan as a defender who has stepped up, saying Moore is starting to play with more strength and production.
The emergence follows a long development arc. A consensus four-star recruit out of DeMatha Catholic in Maryland, ranked as high as No. 53 nationally by the 247Sports Composite, Moore chose Ohio State in July 2022 over programs including Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame and Penn State. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson projected him as a three-technique tackle, and Moore has since grown from roughly 255 pounds to 316.
Eddrick Houston and John Walker have started all three games, and James Smith remains part of the interior rotation. But with the Buckeyes needing to replace departed tackles Kayden McDonald and Tywone Malone Jr., Moore is making a case for a larger role.
