With the departures of captains Tuf Borland and Justin Hilliard as well as fellow seniors Pete Werner and Baron Browning from last season, Ohio State has a lot of experience and leadership to replace at linebacker.
The Buckeyes won’t be able to build true game experience at that position until they actually start the season on Sept. 2 at Minnesota. Leadership, however, is forged in the offseason, and one linebacker’s name has consistently come up when Ohio State coaches and other linebackers have been asked who’s emerged as a leader over the last eight months: Teradja Mitchell.
When asked about who were stepping up as team leaders last week, Ryan Day singled out Mitchell as one of several players who had done so this offseason, saying he is “very impressed with Teradja Mitchell’s approach.”
“He’s been a guy who’s been pretty vocal,” Day said. “He can kind of step up in front of the team and speak.”
Ohio State linebackers coach Al Washington also started with Mitchell when he was asked who was stepping up as a leader for his unit going into the season.
“I think he’s done a great job stepping into a leadership role off the field, taking it upon himself to organize things and just having more of a voice, which is great to see,” Washington said.
Cody Simon described Mitchell as the hardest worker in the linebacker room.
“He is our workhorse,” Simon said. “He’s our leader right now. … Teradja’s a great vocal leader. He’s always trying to get the group together.”
Dallas Gant, who’s been in the linebacker room with Mitchell for his entire Ohio State career as a fellow member of the recruiting class of 2018, says Mitchell has always had the qualities to be a team leader, but has really started asserting himself this offseason now that Borland, Hilliard, Browning and Werner are gone.
“It started way back in the winter, just being a more vocal leader, stepping out in front of the group and stuff like that, being vocal about the linebackers and he’s really accepted and taken on that leadership role,” Gant said. “And I think he’s done a phenomenal job of being someone to look to, for the younger guys to look to and aspire to be.”
On a linebacker depth chart that has no returning starters, Mitchell starting at Will linebacker appears to be the only certainty – or at least the closest thing to a certainty – right now.
Cody Simon, Dallas Gant, Tommy Eichenberg and Palaie Gaoteote are all candidates to play alongside him at Mike linebacker, but the first three were all limited participants in the most recent practice that was open to the media while Gaoteote is still awaiting word from the NCAA on his appeal for a waiver to be eligible to play this season. The bullet appears likely to take the place of the Sam linebacker in this year’s base defense, but it remains uncertain whether Ronnie Hickman, Craig Young or Kourt Williams will see most of the playing time there.
With all of that uncertainty, Ohio State needs to be able to rely on Mitchell, and he understands the responsibility that’s on his shoulders.
“The unit needs a leader, so I need to step up to the plate and be more vocal,” Mitchell said last week. “Get the guys around me and just understand what we have at stake. Understand that it’s gonna take a lot of work.”
Mitchell’s most important responsibility will be consistently making the plays he’s supposed to make when he’s on the field, and he feels more prepared than ever to do that entering his fourth season at Ohio State.
Physically, Mitchell is leaner than he was earlier in his career, though he is now eating meat again after adopting a vegan diet last season. Currently listed at 239 pounds, Mitchell says he feels quicker and faster after weighing more than 250 pounds earlier in his Ohio State career.
Mentally, Mitchell says he has spent more time than ever before watching film this offseason so that he can “anticipate what’s coming instead of reacting” when he’s on the field.
“Just understanding what offenses are trying to run against us, what they’re trying to scheme against us, that’s been the biggest improvement,” Mitchell said.
Washington has been impressed by Mitchell’s maturity and consistent effort in his preparation.
“For him, I think it’s just a natural process of any player being able to digest more, the game slows down a little bit and you can kind of maybe understand or interpret what the offense is doing pre-snap,” Washington said. “Obviously he’s eager to go out and do what he loves to do and that’s play football, and the best thing about football is, when you get on the field, the play speaks for itself. And he’s done that. And I’m really proud of what he’s done so far this camp.”
After waiting his turn on the bench behind Werner, Borland, Browning and Hilliard for the past three years, Mitchell finally has his chance to play a major role for Ohio State’s defense this year, and he’s worked hard to seize that opportunity.
“My dad worked the same job from when he was 18 to 58 years old, and he’s always told me to never quit. So I’ve always understood that it’s going to be a tough process,” Mitchell said. “When I came here, I chose the hard route. Coach Meyer told me that when I first came here, and I understood that. So I understood it was going to take a lot of work to get on that field, and here I am. It’s paying off, for sure.”
“I think he’s done a phenomenal job of being someone to look to, for the younger guys to look to and aspire to be.”– Dallas Gant on Teradja Mitchell
That said, Mitchell also wanted to make it clear during his interview session with reporters last week that he isn’t the only linebacker who’s stepped up this offseason. Despite outside concerns about the unit’s inexperience, Mitchell expects his position group to be ready when the season begins.
“Everybody understands what’s at stake, so we understand that we have a lot to prove,” Mitchell said. “From top to bottom, I feel like guys have been putting in a lot of work. Even after practice, we come in and we’re watching film early before the next meeting. We’re just getting prepared for what’s at stake.
“We’re very confident, and with confidence comes work. And that’s the work we put in this summer. We grinded. Extra work. We stayed back extra, came in early. We’re ready. And we’re very confident.”
