Ohio State Football: Combination of J.J. Watt and Ryan Kerrigan?

This Ohio State Buckeye has all of the tools of another terrific Big Ten player from a few years back.

Before he played his first football game for Ohio State, I wrote that Sam Hubbard’s journey to becoming a defensive end reminded me of J.J. Watt’s. They each played high school ball as skill position players and grew into defensive ends in college.

Now I think Hubbard may be evolving into a player similar to Ryan Kerrigan. If he were to become a combination of Watt and Kerrigan, that would be a nice situation for the Buckeyes wouldn’t it?

Watt was used in a myriad of ways along the defensive line for Wisconsin, but Kerrigan even more so for Purdue. He could line up on either side of the line or in the middle. And it could be with his hand in the ground or as a stand up defensive end or linebacker.

It has been widely reported that defensive line coach Larry Johnson has been experimenting with ways of using Hubbard, an All-State safety in high school, in a similar way Kerrigan was used. With his coverage skills, as well as his ability to rush the passer, Hubbard could be a nightmare for offensive coordinators to game plan against.

Even before he has been used as a standup defensive end/linebacker, some early mock drafts already have Hubbard going in the first round next year, and Walter Football.com has him as the 18th pick. While I think it’s way too early to put too much stock in that, it is something to think about. Especially if he proves he is versatile enough to play with his hand in the ground or standing up.

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And what if Hubbard were to have a season like Kerrigan had in 2010? That year Kerrigan was a unanimous First Team All-American, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and the Bill Willis Trophy winner given to the top defensive lineman in the nation.

However, Hubbard probably won’t be a stat stuffing machine next season like Kerrigan was his senior year. The Purdue front seven wasn’t nearly as strong as Ohio State’s will be next season, and Kerrigan was moved around often because it was important to put him into position to make plays. Hubbard may be moved around next season as more of a distraction at times.

But Hubbard can be just as impactful without putting up a ton of stats. If the offense has to account for him, whether he is playing as a down lineman or standing up, a pass rusher or dropping into coverage, that could open up things for the other talented linemen and linebackers. It will definitely be interesting to see just how many ways Hubbard will be used by coach Johnson next season.

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I thought Sam Hubbard’s story was similar to that of J.J. Watt before he played his first game for Ohio State, and I still do. But I think he is evolving into a versatile player along the lines of Ryan Kerrigan. If I am right on this take, that would be a pretty good thing wouldn’t it?

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