Ohio State: Breaking Down the Linebackers

Last year was supposed to be a rebuilding for the OSU defense, which lost 9 starters from the conference co-champion team of 2005. However, the 2006 unit exceeded expectations, leading the nation in scoring defense for much of the season. Certainly the defense was protected by a juggernaut offense that kept it off the field and constantly put pressure on the opponents. Problems in the secondary were exposed when Michigan was in the hurry-up facing a nearly insurmountable deficit, and obviously in the BCS title game when Florida picked apart the zone coverage. The Buckeyes will look for the linebackers to be the strength of a unit that should be one of the toughest in the nation in 2007.

As a caveat, linebacker is another example of how the coaching staff values flexibility and versatility. The Buckeyes will mix up their personnel depending on formation, and hence they rarely split players up into traditional Mike, Will and Sam distinctions. That's particularly true given the proliferation of spread offenses in the Bg Ten.

Leading the charge is Nagurski winner James Laurinaitis, who enters his junior season as the undisputed field general of the defense. The "Little Animal" filled in for Bobby Carpenter as a freshman in his first win against Michigan, and had a knack for big plays in his first year as a starter. He will man the middle and be an every down player for OSU. Despite the plethora of awards and nominations, the coaches are looking for Laurinaitis to take a big step forward, improving his lateral movement in the running game and showing improvement in coverage. Laurinaitis currently claims that he will return for his senior season in 2008.

The other mainstay at linebacker is junior Marcus Freeman, a former four-star recruit. Freeman's performance thus far is considered somewhat disappointing given the expectations coming in. But an injury sustained as a freshman set him back somewhat at the beginning of last year, and he was significantly better by the end of last year. Freeman is not much of a pass-rushing threat, but he is a sure tackler and makes good reads in zone coverage. There is little downside to his game, and he has a chance to emerge as a star.

The spring's breakout star was senior Larry Grant, a junior college transfer from 2006. Grant was all over the field in the spring game, wreaking havoc in the backfield. Now that light has gone on for Grant, the coaches hope he will transition from a solid contributor to a dynamic playmaker. He will be spelled by senior Curtis Terry, who offers a tough run presence in support. Terry is extremely aggressive and can be used in certain zone blitz packages as well.

The first option off the bench is sophomore Ross Homan, one of the outstanding four-stars from the class of 2006. Homan can play both inside and outside and could see more overall snaps than both Grant and Terry. He is being groomed for a starting job in 2008.

Joining Homan on the second unit is redshirt sophomore Austin Spitler. There was some talk that Spitler might move to the other side of the ball and play fullback. But that never materialized, and Spitler turned in an impressive spring. Along with redshirt freshman Mark Johnson, Spitler is insurance in case Laurinaitis heads to the NFL next year. Johnson, a four-star recruit from 2006, was one of the nation's top inside 'backers as a prep player. Injuries cost Johnson his entire freshman campaign, and he never really got into the flow of the defense. But those inside the program like Johnson's fiery attitude and leadership skills. Though he will get some reps, expect a true impact to happen in '08-'09.

Also in the mix is redshirt freshman Thaddeus Gibson, a top ten outside linebacker in 2006. Gibson is currently working behind Grant and Terry on the strong side, but has the speed and athleticism to switch to the weak side if needed. With Grant and Terry graduating after this season, Gibson will compete for major playing time in 2008.

Ohio State has two four-star linebackers coming from the 2007 class: Brian Rolle from Immokalee, FL and Jermale Hines from Cleveland's Glenville High School. Rolle is a bit undersized at 5'11" but has great instincts and blazing closing speed. He was also a bruising fullback that will not shy away from contact. Rolle was the MVP of the Florida North-South game and dramatically rose up the recruiting ranking as the yea went by. Hines was a late qualifier and choose OSU over Michigan and Iowa. He played outside linebacker on defense and QB on offense, so he's got the athleticism to move around. He could start out as a large safety depending on his development.

Though Ohio State has great depth at linebacker, the 2008 class has a number of extremely talented linebackers interested in the Buckeyes. Topping this list is Andrew Sweat from Washington Trinity (PA). Sweat recently cut Michigan and Penn State from his final four and will choose between Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Another target for Coach Tressel is Cardinal Mooney's Mike Zordich. Zordich has offers from Michigan, LSU, and Oklahoma, among others. But with a Dad that played for Joe Paterno, this appears to be a battle between Penn State and Ohio State. Zordich is probably not the most athletic player you'll find, but he has great football smarts and is a natural leader. He could also play fullback in college, and with his intangibles is a great bet to be captain wherever he chooses. Both Zordich and Sweat are expected to announce in the next few weeks.

Other out-of-state players on OSU's radar are Shayne Hale, Steven Filer, Brendan Beal, and Christian Wilson. Of the group, Hale is receiving the most attention from OSU. He was recently named as a five-star by Rivals. There is likely only room for one other linebacker should Sweat and Zordich commit. Beal is probably the least likely to become a Buckeye, seemingly headed for USC or Notre Dame. Within the state of Ohio, there are a number of other outstanding prep linebackers like Steve Gardiner, Doug Rippy and Mike Spooner. None currently have offers from OSU.