The Ohio State Buckeyes are hoping that they have their new No. 5 overall 2026 NFL draft pick, Arvell Reese, and No. 7 selection, Sonny Styles, in Wisconsin Badgers transfer Christian Alliegro and junior Payton Pierce, respectively, for the 2026 season.
Bucknuts' Patrick Murphy, in relaying that vision from Ryan Day, Matt Patricia, and Co., compared Reese and Styles' potential impact on James Laurinaitis's future prospects in Columbus to what Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave were for former WR coach Brian Hartline.
"While he's 'only' 6-foot-2 and 223 pounds, Payton Pierce is the next man up at linebacker for the Buckeyes. He got his feet wet as a freshman in 2024 and played in every game on defense as the Scarlet and Gray's third linebacker last season. Ohio State added former Wisconsin linebacker Christian Alliegro from the transfer portal this offseason. The three-year Big Ten veteran has 119 tackles over the last two seasons and, at 6-foot-4 and 241 pounds, is already being groomed for the hybrid linebacker/edge-rusher role Reese played a year ago," Murphy wrote.
Pierce has already stepped into a leadership role this spring and will fill Styles' MIKE linebacker spot. Perhaps no defender had a better spring than Pierce, giving many the idea that the Buckeyes' defense will be in good hands this fall.
Alliegro, meanwhile, was in the 94th percentile as a pass rusher, per PFF, and had eight TFLs and four sacks in just 10 games last year. He doesn't have the physical tools Reese did, but Alliegro doesn't need to be a top-10 draft pick to fill his role along the edge this fall.
James Laurinaitis could put himself in line for Ohio State's DC role
Laurinaitis has the chance to set himself up as the contingency plan if/when the NFL comes calling back for Patricia. This past offseason, Patricia seriously considered taking a job in the pros before signing a multi-year extension with the Buckeyes. That NFL itch will be persistent for Patricia, who figures to become a red-hot coaching candidate next hiring cycle after what he accomplishes during the 2026 season in Central Ohio.
Styles and Reese's rapid development under Laurinaitis, given that neither was in his current NFL position in high school, is already a pretty good resume-booster. Pierce becoming a star and Alliegro handling the edge would only further cement his status.
Day has his next internal promotion on staff if Laurinaitis continues on his current trajectory. It may even become the most popular option, and one that's in demand elsewhere, if the planets align in the LB room again this year.
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