Taking a Look at Ohio State's Linebackers Before Facing Iowa

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No. 3 Ohio State (4-0, 1-1) is set to face the Iowa Hawkeyes (3-1, 1-0) on Oct. 5 in Columbus, Ohio. The run-heavy Iowa offense will provide the biggest test of the season so far for the Buckeyes' linebackers.

The Ohio State Linebacker Unit

Ohio State's linebackers are coached by position coach and Buckeyes standout James Laurinaitis. He won the Bronko Nagurski Award as a sophomore at Ohio State and had an eight-year NFL career. It's his first year in control of the unit and he has his hands full in 2024.

Junior Sonny Styles is playing his first year at the position after being moved from safety in the offseason. Styles is one of the most athletic players on the roster and flashed incredible potential last year. He was asked to cover tight ends for most of his snaps in order to keep his job simple. His responsibilities have increased tremendously with the switch to full-time linebacker. He is obviously still adjusting to his new role.

The middle linebacker is senior Cody Simon. He's one of the most experienced players on the entire defense. Simon is great in every phase and makes very few mistakes. His reliability will be vital as they look to slow down the Hawkeyes up front.

Former Five-Star prospect CJ Hicks has also received a lot of playing time this year. Hicks has not quite lived up to the hype in Columbus as of yet. He has shown a natural ability as a pass rusher. He, however, seems to be underdeveloped still in terms of seeing the field and reacting as you would want a linebacker to in year three.

The emergence of sophomore Arvell Reese has been the most interesting development by far. Reese climbed up the depth chart quickly in fall camp. The Glenville High School product has been a welcoming addition as he has earned significant playing time with his surprisingly impressive play.

The Use of the Linebackers

Ohio State has used five defensive backs on the field as their base personnel in recent years. It has elected to use only two linebackers at a time given how stacked they have been in the secondary under head coach Ryan Day. They prefer to have a cornerback playing the nickel so that they can teach to defend the run. Jordan Hancock excelled in that role last season and seems to be doing so this year as well.

The Buckeyes, however, did something interesting last week against Michigan State (3-2, 1-1). They chose to play three linebackers at once any time the Spartans used more than one tight end. Hancock was subbed out numerous times in order to get either Reese or Hicks in to help defend the heavier personnel. They seemed to struggle in this look early with Styles being isolated early and often. He was out of position on multiple occasions where the Spartans took advantage of his lapses.

They clearly used last week as an opportunity to get the three linebacker unit as many reps together as they could against a similar type of scheme. Iowa is a much better team on the ground with their star running back Kaleb Johnson. They also have a great offfensive line and a phenomenal pair of tight ends. Luke Lachey excels as both a blocker and a receiver.

Can Arvell Reese Make an Impact?

Reese has 15 tackles on the year and has appeared to be a natural at the position. He is quick to react and is near the ball at the end of every play. The coaching staff has been transparent that they want him to stay at middle linebacker. This means that with three on the field, Simon will move to be the weak side and Styles to the strong. This will make both of them resposible for the tight ends. The idea will be to let the two of them handle the complexity of defending the threat of a pass or run. That allows Reese to simply play free and fly to the ball. He will surely be tracking Johnson closely any time he finds himself in the rotation.

The Key Matchup to Watch

Styles is the clear player to watch this weekend. Styles was heavily attacked the last two weeks with play-action and run-pass-options. His inexperience at the position makes him the weaker link of the unit. He is aggressive and can overcommit at times, exposing him in the passing game. He will find himself in the open field with Johnson and covering Lachey often on Oct. 5. His play will be the key to whether or not the Hawkeyes can move the chains consistently.

The Buckeye defense won't have to worry too much about the down field passing attack from Iowa. Quarterback Cade McNamara has shown almost zero ability with his receivers to complete anything longer than 20 yards in the air. That means these linebackers will be in the middle of the action almost every snap. Their play will dictate how this game looks on Saturday afternoon in the horseshoe. The two will face off at 3:30 p.m. EST on CBS/Paramount+.