The Ohio State Buckeyes failed to get the job done during the 2025 season. While you can point to the quarterback, right guard, and nickel as spots that had weaknesses, the linebacker spot is the last position you can say that about. Perhaps even above receiver.
As Cleveland.com's Andrew Gillis and Stephen Means alluded, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles could both go high in the first round of the NFL draft. Gillis doesn't believe Ohio State LB coach James Laurinaitis should get used to this level of play.
Gillis also doesn't believe the position will fall off a cliff after losing the best linebacking duo in the school's modern history.
“I think this is more the peak rather than the start. But like I don’t know... You’ve got two top-half of the first round level players. One of them might go like top five, and then the other one is probably going to go like top 16," Gillis said.
“And the thing with a peak is that it doesn’t have to be like you start at the bottom up up up up peak down down down. You could, I don’t know. You could still see the peak from 10 ft lower.”
Ohio State squandered historic LB and WR play
Not winning it all with the level of LB and WR play the Buckeyes had in 2025 will haunt the program until they reach the mountaintop next.
As Smith and Reese racked up 142 tackles on the year, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate were breaking records, one notably being the first duo with 120 receiving yards and a 50-yard catch since the aughts. Smith and Tate helped prop up Julian Sayin as a Heisman finalist.
A team with this much talent as Ohio State has shouldn't be bounced from the CFP early, let alone undone in a one-sided 24-14 loss to the Miami Hurricanes like they were. And yet, it's the Canes waiting for the Ole Miss Rebels in the Fiesta Bowl as the Buckeyes sit at home.
Ryan Day will have to answer for this all offseason, presumably after losing offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and potentially imminently losing defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, though a door to return remains open for the latter.