Back in March, I wrote an innocuous column about how a less-heralded kid out of New Albany named Darron Lee would try to fill the mighty playmaking linebacker shoes vacated by Ryan Shazier. Lee had been running with starters Curtis Grant and Joshua Perry and seemed to have come out of nowhere to land the gig.
I'll be honest. I didn't know if he could do it. But, nine months later, it’s easy to see why the coaches had a guy we had formerly penciled in at safety or star playing as a first-team linebacker. Just yesterday he was named to ESPN’s Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
The 6-foot-2, 228-pound redshirt freshman is having a breakout season. Lee is third on the team in tackles, with 66 (43 solo). But his impact goes beyond simply making stops. He has shown a knack for making big, game-changing plays that has lessened the loss of a standout like Shazier.
Lee has 13.5 tackles for loss this season, which is second on the team, for a total of 59 yards lost by Ohio State’s opponents. His 5.5 sacks are third, behind Joey Bosa (13.5) and Michael Bennett (6). His knack for the big play extends to turnovers. He has intercepted two passes, forced a fumble and recovered two others this season.
He has been instrumental in helping turn around last year’s leaky pass defense. In addition to his two interceptions, Lee has two pass breakups and four passes defensed, as well as three quarterback hurries. Whether he’s rushing or dropping into coverage, Lee has been an active defender all season, making life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.
And he scores points, too. Both of Lee’s fumble recoveries went for touchdowns this year, bookending the regular season in style. He scored his first career touchdown with a 61-yard return in the season opener against Navy, giving Ohio State a 13-7 lead in the third quarter. His most recent was a 33-yard run back with 3:58 to play, sealing Ohio State’s victory in The Game.
His sense of the dramatic doesn’t only pertain to recovering fumbles and running them back for touchdowns. He has typically saved his best performances for the biggest stage. He recorded a season high six solo tackles in the win at Michigan State on Nov. 8 and backed that up a week later with six more solo tackles and an assist at Minnesota. He tallied five solo tackles each in The Game and the Big Ten Championship Game.
Lee’s first career interception came in the team’s first conference road game of the year at Maryland. He nearly ran it back for a score, but fumbled inside the 5-yard line, where teammate Raekwon McMillan recovered. The interception was applauded by Buckeye fans everywhere, but the fumble at the end earned him an admonishment from mom.
Somebody had the ball hanging out.High and tight boo boo #Buckeyes
— candice (@candicenbc4) October 4, 2014
His other pick came on the first possession of the game against Illinois, turning a promising drive around with a 26-yard return. That led to a Curtis Samuel 23-yard touchdown run three plays later, setting the tone for a 55-14 demolition of the Fighting Illini.
The best thing about Lee’s outstanding freshman season is that he’s only scratching the surface of the player he can become. His career trajectory is off to a blazing start. As he matures at the position, he’ll have the chance to place his name beside guys like Shazier, Chris Spielman, A.J. Hawk, James Laurinaitis and other OSU legendary linebackers.
