Arvell Reese Must Be Himself While Replacing Cody Simon

Junior middle linebacker Arvell Reese is going to be one of eight new starters for the Buckeyes on defense this season. He is replacing former captain Cody Simon, who led the Buckeyes with 112 tackles a year ago.

Reese played in every game last season as the third linebacker in Ohio State’s defense, including a start against Michigan State. He finished with 43 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks last season as the Buckeyes’ top reserve.

Being Ohio State’s middle linebacker is no small order, but Reese believes his experience last season will help him along.

“I got a lot of reps last year,” Reese said this spring, “so I feel like more reps comes with more confidence and playing faster.”

Last year was Reese’s first time on the field defensively for the Buckeyes. As a true freshman in 2023, he only saw time on special teams. His play last year was impressive for somebody so inexperienced, prompting him to be asked this spring how much of what he did last year was just off of natural ability rather than film study.

“I feel like last year I wasn’t just doing it off of natural ability,” Reese said of the assertion. “I was in the film room and a lot of it was off of studying and reading my keys.”

One of the keys to succeeding as a backup or package player is preparing like a starter. Arvell Reese did that last year and continues to do it this year. He got an up-close look at how Cody Simon did it a year ago and he’s carrying that with him forward into 2025 as well.

But he’s still going to be himself this year on the field.

“I try to prepare like him,” Reese said of Simon. “I learned that from him. When he prepares, he’s intentional, so that’s definitely something I try to do like him, but I’m me. But when it comes to preparing and being intentional with studying and how I prepare for practice, I definitely take that from him.”

Coaches like to say that football is a results-oriented business. That’s true for coaches and players. For the players on the field, it is impossible to hide. Especially afterward in the film room. Young players understandably make mistakes and they don’t always know why what they did was the wrong thing to do. Sometimes they can try to fake it, but they don’t necessarily get away with it.

It’s all part of the learning process.

When was the last time Reese found himself in that situation?

“I can’t remember the last time that happened, so that’s a good thing,” he said. 

Middle linebacker is a storied position at Ohio State, but it’s known as much for being a leader as it is a producer. Reese won’t lead the same way Cody Simon led.

He will lead the way he knows how, but will always have the ability to lean back on the lessons he learned from his former teammate.

“I think it’s definitely some big shoes to fill because Cody was a great player,” Reese admitted. “A great leader. He was the quarterback of the defense. You can’t just try to be him, but I’ve definitely got some shoes to fill.”

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