Comparing Freshman Seasons of Ohio State Defensive Linemen Nick and Joey Bosa

So after Nick Bosa signed with Ohio State in the midst of rehab on his surgically repaired right knee, his future head coach kept tabs often on the latest member of the NFL bloodline with his iPhone. Any coach would do that with a player that leaves high school as a five-star recruit but it is especially difficult when said player's older brother is a former five-star himself and recently became the third overall pick in the NFL Draft.

“We had a group text with the mom and dad and Joe and Nick, something with I was asking how he's doing,” Meyer said at Big Ten Media Days in July. “Joey said, 'Be patient.' And I simply said, 'No.'

“No, there's no patience.”

Ohio State had to be a little patient with the younger Bosa because Nick partially tore his ACL during his final season at St. Thomas Aquinas. The Buckeyes kept him on a "pitch count," during workouts, Meyer said, even though defensive line coach Larry Johnson champed at the bit to see what Nick could do on the field. What Nick did on the field this season to date didn't quite reach the same level as his older brother at least in terms of statistical production but it is clear he still made an impact. Just like Meyer wanted and expected, the Buckeyes weren't patient and used Nick in his first 12 games of college football, mainly on third downs.

Let's look at the numbers.

Each players sack numbers were/are good for a tie for first (Joey) and second on the team, respectively. Joey shared the sack crown with Noah Spence in 2013, a pretty ridiculous tandem that could not be unleashed against Tajh Boyd and Clemson in the Orange Bowl after Ohio State suspended the latter for what at the time was deemed a violation of team rules.

Below is where each Bosa ranked on the team in the above categories. Nick's marks will obviously change with the Buckeyes 18 days out from the start of the College Football Playoff.

Joey: 10th in total tackles, seventh in solo tackles, third in tackles for loss, tied for first in sacks (Spence), tied for first in quarterback hurries (Ryan Shazier).

Nick: 11th in total tackles, 11th in solo tackles, tied for fifth in tackles for loss (Hubbard), second in sacks, tied for third in quarterback hurries (Holmes).

The elder Bosa made more big plays in 2013 than his little brother during his freshman season this fall, though he had more opportunities. A groin injury suffered by then-defensive end Adolphus Washington against San Diego State in Week 2 of that season inserted Joey further into the fray. He never gave the starting job back.

Ohio State's depth on the defensive line that season forced Mike Vrabel's hand a little more than Larry Johnson's this season, even though there is no question that Joey thrived in a larger role. You probably recall that fumble he hopped on in the end zone at Northwestern with all zeroes on the clock to give the Buckeyes a 40-30 victory and a sneaky backdoor cover.

Both players possess freakish athletic ability and strength but Nick hasn't seen as many snaps as his older brother did as a freshman. He simply hasn't needed to.

Johnson, Meyer, Luke Fickell and the other members of Ohio State's defensive staff are responsible for bringing in a bevy of talent to rotate in the trenches on that side of the ball. The Buckeyes listed Sam Hubbard and Jalyn Holmes as co-starters at one defensive end spot opposite of Tyquan Lewis all year. A season-ending injury to starter Tracy Sprinkle forced  Dre'Mont Jones and Davon Hamilton to step up their play at tackle and another redshirt freshman—Robert Landers—has been brilliant behind Michael Hill. Even Rashod Berry has made some plays this season.

In 2013, the Buckeyes felt comfortable with Joey Bosa, Adolphus Washington (when healthy), Michael Bennett and Spence getting consistent snaps at key points throughout games. Jamal Marcus, Steve Miller, Chris Carter and Joel Hale played too but combined for just 54 tackles on the season. Not to mention Nick Bosa's knee injury—no matter how much Meyer didn't want to be careful with it—required the Buckeyes to be smart with him so as to not risk losing the former top recruit.

And yet, the Bosa brothers put up numbers in their freshman seasons that warranted All-American status. The Sporting News and College Football News named Joey a freshman All-American in December 2013 while ESPN put Nick on its squad Monday.

The younger Bosa plays primarily on third downs as part of Ohio State's "Rushmen" package alongside other defensive ends Holmes, Lewis and Hubbard. He can line up inside with that group in a similar way his older brother did when Johnson implemented that package in 2015 the wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.

Nick's numbers dwindled the last month of the regular season (only six tackles and one sack—against Michigan—in four games) but he made his presence felt often earlier in the year. He recorded his first sack in Ohio State's 77-10 thrashing of Bowling Green in the season opener and also made life miserable on more than one occasion for Alex Hornibrook in the Buckeyes' 30-23 overtime win at Wisconsin.

Case in point:

Nick Bosa with a huge sack on 3rd down for Ohio State. pic.twitter.com/20FvCGeWlc

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 16, 2016

And:

Nick Bosa is everywhere for Ohio State right now. pic.twitter.com/Sig6nWO1Au

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 16, 2016

If you want to look at it from a more structured standpoint, the numbers for each brother through the first four games of their freshman year are almost identical.

Joey Bosa after first 4 gms as a freshman: 10 tkls, 2 TFLs, 0 sacks, 2 starts

Nick Bosa after 4 gms: 9 tkls, 2.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 0 starts

— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) October 2, 2016

So while Nick's overall numbers pale in comparison to what his older brother did in 2013, his team ranks are still impressive considering the rehab he did from the knee injury and a handful more of capable bodies on the defensive line in front of him. The freshman All-American recognition is merited.

Joey tallied five tackles and a sack of Tajh Boyd against Clemson in the final game of the 2013 season. Nick is in a position to put together something similar in the College Football Playoff with more than a month off between games.