Ohio State football fans weren’t able to bathe in the afterglow for too long after the glorious national championship victory as defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is officially out the door. What makes this departure even more depressing is the fact that he is heading to State College, Pennsylvania, to take over the defense for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Rumors are swirling around on social media as to possible drama on the coaching staff and why Knowles may have wanted to leave, but all we really know is he is gone. It is time to move on and as it stands there is one very obvious choice already on staff.
Now there are a number of candidates, but few who strapped on equipment for the Buckeyes with this kind of experience. Tim Walton is currently the defensive backs coach for Ohio State and played for the Scarlet and Gray from 1990 through 1993.
As far as recruiting goes, since he has been back, the defensive back recruiting has been phenomenal and there is no doubt the unit has elevated as well. Walton has an extensive background in both the college game and the NFL. He already has coordinator experience as he held the position with Miami in 2007 , Memphis in 2008 and even the St. Louis Rams in 2013. Now none of those three stops would be considered successful, but that was a long time ago and he has no doubt grown as a coach since then and grown from those opportunities.
There are a number of good options, but Walton would be a hard choice to pass up.
Tim Walton would be my absolute first choice as the replacement DC for Ohio State! ⭕🌰
He’s a former NFL defensive coordinator and one of the best recruiters in the country. Not to mention, the players love him!
He should be hand picked for this promotion!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/TgyZS5xWZ6
— DynastyCLE (@DynastyCLE) January 26, 2025
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