The "we don't rebuild, we reload" mantra has been around Ohio State's program for years and it has largely rang true thanks to a recruiting machine that evolved during the early-mid 1990s under John Cooper and carried through to Jim Tressel and now Urban Meyer.
As Ohio State saw 12 players taken in last year's NFL Draft including a record 10 selected in the first three rounds, the expectation was the mantra would be challenged in 2016 with the Buckeyes forced to replace 16 starters.
Linebacker was just one position group hit hard by roster turnover as Darron Lee went to the New York Jets with the 20th pick of the Draft followed by fellow starter Joshua Perry who landed in San Diego as a 4th round selection.
The good news for Meyer was Raekwon McMillan would be back to anchor the middle of the defense but who would flank him on either side figured to be a battle between Dante Booker, Chris Worley and Jerome Baker, all of which entered spring ball with little to zero experience.
Worley locked up a starting spot in fall camp despite pressure from Baker but when Booker went down with an injury in the season opener, Baker was thrust into the spotlight.
Despite being woefully low on game reps entering the season the combo of Baker and Worley has grown throughout the season complimenting the steady work turned in by McMillan.
So how exactly does the trio featuring a pair of first-year starters stack up against previous linebacking corps under Meyer at Ohio State? The answer is pretty damn well.
| LB | TKLS | RANK | TKL/G |
|---|---|---|---|
| R. MCMILLAN | 87 | 1 | 7.3 |
| J. BAKER | 79 | 2 | 6.6 |
| C. WORLEY | 60 | 4 | 5.0 |
McMillan doesn't always land on the highlight reel but there's no denying he's a legit All-American and he was recently recognized by both the coaches and media as a 1st-team All-B1G selection after leading Ohio State in tackles (87) through 12 games. The junior out of Georgia has turned it on down the stretch culminating in a 16 tackle effort against Michigan.
Worley, who lost a starting gig to Lee following the season opener against Navy back in 2014, entered this season battling Baker for a starting spot with most fans favoring Baker for his youth and playmaking ability. Worley however held off Baker thanks to steady play and more experience and he's responded well with 60 tackles so far including a season-high 11 against Michigan.
The Glenville product has stepped up his pass coverage skills and currently leads his linebacking mates with five passes defensed.
Baker has made a solid case for Ohio State's breakout player of the year (can't overlook Hooker for that though) after stepping into Booker's spot. Building on the playmaking ability he flashed in the spring game, Baker leads his linebacking mates with 8.5 TFL and a pair of interceptions while also ranking 2nd on the squad with 79 stops.
Looking at their stats combined, the trio is averaging over 18 tackles per game while tallying 18.0 TFL, eight PBU, three interceptions and three forced fumbles for the country's 2nd-ranked Scoring Defense (14.2) and Total Defense.
The collective efforts of the 2016 linebacking corps trail the 2015 trio's production but considering how experienced McMillan, Lee and Perry were entering the season that should be expected.
| LB | TKLS | RANK | TKL/G |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCMILLAN | 119 | 1 | 9.2 |
| PERRY | 105 | 2 | 8.8 |
| LEE | 66 | 4 | 5.1 |
The 2015 group was led by McMillan's 119 tackles (1st on team) followed by Perry's 105 (2nd) while Lee clocked in at 66 (4th) across a 13 game season. Together, they tallied roughly 23 tackles per game which is four more than this year's group.
With one additional game to amass numbers (so far anyway) the 2015 trio racked up 22.5 TFL and 10 PBU – numbers the 2016 crew could conceivably match before curtains fall on the 2016 campaign.
Also of note, the overall 2015 Bullets ranked 9th in Total Defense compared to 4th this year and while last year's squad finished 2nd in Scoring Defense, its mark of 15.1 points per game trails the 14.2 put up by this year's team so far.
| LB | TKLS | RANK | TKL/G |
|---|---|---|---|
| PERRY | 124 | 1 | 8.3 |
| LEE | 81 | 3 | 5.4 |
| GRANT | 69 | 5 | 4.6 |
| MCMILLAN | 54 | 8 | 3.6 |
In 2014, Perry led the team with an impressive 124 stops while Lee burst onto the scene with 81 tackles with an oustanding 16.5 TFL, 7.5 sacks and four turnovers. The third linebacker spot saw both Curtis Grant and McMillan share time in the middle.
That group combined to register almost 22 tackles per game and accumulated a staggering 36.5 TFL thanks largely to Lee's work.
Ohio State went on to capture the national title that year however the defense was more known for being opportunistic than being shutdown as the Bullets finished 19th in Total Defense and 26th in Scoring Defense (22.0).
| LB | TKLS | RANK | TKL/G |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHAZIER | 143 | 1 | 10.2 |
| PERRY | 64 | 4 | 4.6 |
| GRANT | 52 | 7 | 4.0 |
The 2013 group was a one man band as Ryan Shazier went off for 143 tackles and 22.5 TFL while Perry was just beginning to earn his stripes. He would go on to post 64 stops with Grant adding 52 of his own but the duo added just six TFL as the Buckeye defense struggled to finished 47th in Total Defense and 28th in Scoring Defense (22.6).
Finally, the 2012 group was a MASH unit featuring the raw talent of Shazier (115 tackles), a fullback turned linebacker in Zach Boren (50 tackles), an injured Etienne Sabino (45 tackles) and guy who would eventually be booted from the team in Storm Klein (18 tackles).
Featuring the nation's 34th-best Total Defense and 31st-best Scoring Defense (22.8), it's still a miracle Meyer went undefeated in year one.
Overall, the 2016 group of McMillan, Worley and Baker stacks up favorably with its contemporaries when taking in the total picture.
How well the trio performs in the postseason will be critical to Ohio State's success when you figure the defense as a whole will be asked to carry the load knowing the offense has bouts of inconsistency for a multitude of reasons.
