The Ohio State football team is hoping to defend a national championship despite the fact that they will be without a lot of guys who were key to that run. With 15 starters gone, that opens up opportunities for a lot of guys who can step up and prove that they deserve those snaps.
Arvell Reese is one of those players. Reese was not a starter last season at the linebacker spot, but he showed enough late in the year that proved he was ready to be a starter. The Buckeyes are going to have him start next to Sonny Styles as at least the second linebacker.
Matt Patricia still hasn't shown exactly what kind of defense is going to be the base defense that they are going to run, so it's unclear how many linebackers will start for them. It could be just two, as it has been for the last few years, or it could be three. Either way, Reese is ready to prove to doubters that he deserves to be out there.
Ohio State football player Arvell Reese is set to show he deserves the playing time he will receive
Reese is going to get more snaps than he has ever had in his young career. As a redshirt freshman last season, he showed that he was comfortable on the biggest stage, playing very well in the College Football Playoff. The Ohio State Buckeyes saw that, and that's why he's ready to start.
In the four games that the Buckeyes played in the CFP last season, Reese had six tackles and a tackle for loss. He played in all 16 games that Ohio State played last season, so he got plenty of game reps. He's going to be ready to jump in as a starter and play well.
It will certainly help Reese that he has Sonny Styles next to him. Styles is one of the best players that the Buckeyes have, and he is going to be even better now that this is his second year playing the position. Reese will learn a lot from watching him, too.