Ohio State’s defense had a lot of stars in 2025, and none were bigger than linebacker Arvell Reese. Reese played so well in 2025 for the Buckeyes that many believe he would be a first-round draft pick in April.
He was the Big Ten’s Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, was first team all-Big Ten, and a first team, consensus all-American. He was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for a huge game against Penn State. Yet, Reese should consider coming back to Ohio State for a fourth year in 2026.
In 2025, Reese had 69 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, and 6.5 sacks for the Buckeyes. With all of the awards and impressive stats, why should Reese play one more year at Ohio State? He’s already an all-American and national champion. What more does he have to prove?
The biggest reason he could use more time in Matt Patricia and Tim Walton’s defense is that, down the stretch for the Buckeyes, Reese faded in the impact he had on opposing offenses. His high-water mark was against Penn State. He had 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, and a sack against the Nittany Lions. In the first eight games, culminating against PSU, he had 55 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, and 6.5 sacks.
In the final six games of the season, he had 15 tackles and one tackle for a loss. For whatever reason, this impact player’s presence quieted. This is no indictment of his ability as a linebacker. It is likely that opposing offenses purposefully went away from him, and perhaps the Buckeye defense, which struggled to maintain their edge in the postseason, failed to fully utilize him.
There’s no doubt that NFL scouts will notice when they look at how the season finished for him, and this could potentially cost him not only a lot of money but perhaps the best position for him to succeed at the next level.
It’s highly unlikely he returns next season, but one of the best things about the NIL era of college sports is that it doesn’t have to be a choice about either getting paid or not getting paid. Now, a player can seek further development and stock improvement all while making some well-earned money off their hard work.
Ohio State will undoubtedly miss Arvell Reese; he’s that unique of a football player, but decisions to leave for the pros are no longer as cut and dry as they used to be, even for an all-American, national champion.