The one group on the Ohio State football team that underperformed more than any other last season was the linebacker unit, but expect them to play fast and loose in 2019.
It’s not surprising that Ohio State linebackers are impressed with new coach Al Washington’s system and his approach as to how to play the position. He is keeping things simple for them and allowing them to play fast.
Last season the linebacker unit was much maligned, and I think unnecessarily. They were being coached like they were NFL players when they were trying to figure out the college game.
Coach Washington knows how to bring young guys along and has done a great job in the past doing so.
It’s fine to have a coach who has worked with NFL quarterbacks like Ryan Day has, and offensive line or defensive backs coaches as well. It’s more important to get players on those units on the same page more so than in others.
But when it comes to linebacker play, it should just be read and react. The simpler you can keep things with young guys the better.
Here are a comments from linebackers Tuf Borland, Dallas Gant and Teradja Mitchell per Eleven Warriors.
"Borland: “It just allows us to play fast, play free, play easy and just use our athleticism to play.”Gant: “He’s just trying to play faster than what we did last year. Not really any specifics to talk about, but it’s just mike, will, sam and just playing ball, really.”Mitchell: “It’s a lot more simple. It allows us to play ball faster. So I’m all for that.”"
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Now you see why they are excited about having coach Washington here. Linebackers like to play fast and hit people. It’s in their DNA.
Most teams in the country would have traded their starters for Borland, Malik Harrison and Pete Werner last year and yet they weren’t considered to be a very good unit. That’s because they weren’t allowed to fly around to the ball like the units Luke Fickell coached.
When you add in Mitchell, Baron Browning, Gant and others, this may be the most talented and deep linebacker unit in recent memory.
And now they have a coach who will keep things simple and let them fly to the ball. The Silver Bullets will be back in the 2019 season.