Ohio State Linebackers are Poised for Greatness

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State may be “Linebacker U,” but Ohio State has had a history of elite linebackers throughout the last 50 years. Names like Randy Gradishar, Chris Spielman, Andy Katzenmoyer and James Laurinaitis headline a list of defensive playmakers to don the Scarlet and Gray. The individual performances put forth through the years have been outstanding. But it isn’t too often that the Buckeyes have those kind of athletes at all three of the linebacker positions. The most recent trio that comes to mind is the 2005 linebacking corps of Bobby Carpenter, A.J. Hawk and Anthony Schlegel. Ten years later, the Buckeyes have the makings of another lethal three-headed monster at the linebacker position consisting of sophomores Darron Lee and Raekwon McMillan and senior Joshua Perry.

Out of the three, Perry is the big guy at 6-foot-4 and 254 pounds. The senior led the Buckeyes in tackles last season with 124. Because of his size, Perry possesses the ability to engage the biggest offensive lineman of any front. This frees up space for a defensive lineman or linebacker to make a play on an opposing ball carrier. Perry definitely isn’t a fast linebacker, but he takes great pursuit angles that oftentimes negate the necessity for speed. If the need presents itself, he can drop back into coverage as well, though Ohio State will need his size to be the primary run stopper in the upcoming season. If there is anything he needs to improve upon, it would be fighting off blocks. There were times last season where he made great contact with an offensive blocker, but struggled to get away as the play developed. Regardless, Perry’s size and strength will give opposing offenses some trouble this season.

McMillan was the No. 1 linebacker coming out of high school before his freshman season at Ohio State, and he did not disappoint. He accumulated 54 total tackles last season, good enough for eighth on the team. He also had one interception that he returned for a touchdown. His instant impact last season was a breath of fresh air for Buckeye fans, as the last highly touted linebacker recruit (Curtis Grant) took much longer to develop. Now that McMillan is in the starting role for 2015, expect him to have an even bigger impact. He is 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, but his lateral quickness and field vision make him an absolute threat to any offensive rushing attack. He may lack starting experience, but that won’t be an issue after a couple of weeks into the season.

I’ll try to say this in the most professional way I can: Lee is a freak. As a redshirt freshman, he was the third leading tackler on the team with 81 total. He returned two fumbles for touchdowns as well. The guy was everywhere on the field for the Buckeyes in 2014. He is 6-foot-2, 235 pounds and makes plays like he was shot out of a cannon. He’s fast and agile, and can absolutely light up any ball carrier (ask Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds). I truly cannot point out any weakness this guy has. If I had to pick one, I’d say he is almost too aggressive at times. But that is exactly what you want in the Silver Bullet defense, is it not?

I am a huge proponent of offense in the game of football, but this Ohio State linebacking corps alone gets me excited to watch defense. This could be one of the best trios that Ohio State has had in decades, and they are going to give opposing offenses nightmares this fall.

Brooks Hooley is a Junior Big Ten Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @brookshooley.

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