Ryan Day Likes Versatility Of Buckeye Linebackers

Ohio State will go into the 2024 season with two new starting linebackers, and several others who will be called upon as well.

Middle linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and Will linebacker Steele Chambers are both off to the NFL, but fifth-year senior Cody Simon returns to lead this year’s room.

Juniors CJ Hicks and Sonny Styles will compete to be the starting Will linebacker, but both will play because both have a skill set that can help this defense win games. Redshirt sophomore Gabe Powers and true sophomore Arvell Reese round out the depth chart at middle linebacker.

When he looks at the room as a whole, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day likes what he sees from the Buckeye linebackers.

“Good versatility,” Day said last week. “All those guys. Arvell Reese, CJ, Gabe, Sonny, Cody, I’m missing a couple I’m sure. These guys are really versatile.”

Powers, Reese, and Styles are all listed at 6-foot-4, so they’ve got size and length. Styles comes over from safety, which gives hints as to his abilities in coverage.

Hicks, meanwhile, has been lauded for his ability to blitz, but it has only really been seen on the practice field.

Simon is the only proven linebacker on the roster right now, but Day doesn’t seem too worried.

“You can see the length on them. They do a good job in terms of fitting the runs. They have enough length to cover in zone, but they’ll also blitz,” Day said. “And that’s something that we wanted to really work on this offseason is getting better at blitzing. Hopefully we can take the next step in the preseason.”

Every scholarship linebacker on this Ohio State roster was a blue-chip recruit, so they all have potential. “Potential” can be a four-letter word, but the offseason has been a good one for the Buckeyes. After playing behind Eichenberg and Chambers for the past couple of seasons, the competition has been productive.

The spring also allowed defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to get a better idea of how to use the players that he has.

The way Day sees it, Knowles is sitting with a pretty good hand.

“All playmakers,” Day said of the linebackers. “I think when you see us and the length that we have there, we look a little bit different than in the past, and that’s exciting. When you tie that in with our front four and the back end, it’s important to make sure that the linebackers — they’re the glue. Cody’s had an unbelievable offseason. He leads the pack with that group. You’re seeing a lot of those guys come on.”

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