Ohio State's linebacker corps is chocked full of talented upperclassmen, putting together one of the deepest units in all of college football.
It hasn't gotten as much attention looking ahead to the 2020 season as some of Ohio State's other position groups, like wide receiver, but with two returning starters, two former five-star recruits and three four-star juniors occupying the top seven slots of the depth chart, the Buckeyes' linebackers – the bane of their defense just two years ago – has quickly become one of their greatest strengths.
Ohio State's defense lost seven starters from last year's top-ranked defense, including two potential top-three selections (Chase Young, Jeff Okudah) in the NFL draft. Al Washington's unit lost Malik Harrison, but returned seven other linebackers who are seniors or juniors. With an inexperienced roster around them, the Buckeyes' depth at the second level will be imperative to their success.
Tuf Borland and Pete Werner, who have been the starting middle and strongside linebackers for the past two years, are back as third-year starters. Also returning are Baron Browning, a five-star recruit from the class of 2017 who split reps with Borland in 2019, and Justin Hilliard, another one-time five-star recruit who is back for a sixth year of eligibility. The two of them are the top candidates to be the other starting linebacker in 2020, with Browning the presumptive favorite to win the job.
Teradja Mitchell (20 games played), Dallas Gant (28 games played) and K'Vaughan Pope (23 games played) are all talented third-year players with backup experience who are eager to play their way onto the field this fall.
Like Brian Hartline's group on the other side of the ball, Washington has a multitude of talented players who are candidates for extensive playing time. The main difference between the wide receivers and the linebackers, however, is the experience of those competing. While many of the wideouts vying for spots in the rotation are freshman and sophomores, every linebacker expected to make a run at playing time this year is an upperclassman, though Gant, Pope and Mitchell have had to wait their turn to see the field on a full-time basis so far in their careers.
Last year, Ohio State rotated Borland and Browning at the middle linebacker position. With Browning shifting to the outside, there could be opportunities for rotations at two or more linebacker spots in 2020.
There is simply too much talent on the team to keep four of those linebackers off of the field, so the Buckeyes should look to rotate wherever it makes sense. Rotations allow each player to stay fresh and be better prepared for different situations in the game, helping the defense perform at the highest possible level with little to no drop-off in production.
With the loss of three starters from both the defensive line and the secondary, the linebackers should be the highest-performing aspect of the defense this year. The Buckeyes' experience on the second level is unmatched, with the seven aforementioned players combining for 231 games played.
While Borland, Browning and Werner are the frontrunners to walk out for the first snap against Bowling Green in September's season opener, Gant, Hilliard, Mitchell and Pope are not far behind.
