With all the star power on Ohio State’s roster, less-discussed talent in position rooms getting a lot of attention has been a theme this offseason.
At wide receiver that applies to anyone not named Jeremiah Smith. Along the defensive line it’s the “sleeping giant” Ty Hamilton.
At linebacker, with two five-star prospects battling to start at Will in Sonny Styles and C.J. Hicks, it’s the team’s starting Mike, Cody Simon. Despite the freakish athleticism that the former two bring to the table, it’s Simon who linebackers coach James Laurinaitis says is the most complete player the Buckeyes have at the position.
“It's Cody. Cody Simon,” Laurinaitis said. “Cody Simon is a guy you could put at Mike, at Will, at Sam. You can move him all around. He's the unquestioned leader of the group. He's the leader of the defense. Gets everybody lined up.
“Very technical. Has really good footwork, really clean footwork, which allows him to change direction and get off blocks and tackle well. So I think Cody Simon is probably, if you said, ‘Who's the most overall LB?’ Just because he can go anywhere and he can do anything for us.”
In most defenses, the Mike linebacker is the field general, the man who sets everyone else in motion in the correct direction. Ohio State’s is no exception, and as such Laurinaitis is thankful to have a player with the experience and savvy Simon possesses.
“For me, (being a leader) just means I gotta be at my best every day,” Simon said. “The guys in the room have to look to someone to see an example. And I need to be able to lead them vocally, physically and emotionally. So that's what I try to be every day. And it's a tough role, but I love playing football. I love doing it. I love this place. So it's a great job to have.”
Simon’s seen a lot of action for a lot of Ohio State ball-stopping units. Three, to be precise.
He started 10 games for the Buckeyes in 2021, collecting 54 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack and an interception. He was a mere second-year player at that time, though, and Ohio State’s linebacker unit as a whole was viewed as a weak point for a defense that finished 59th in yards allowed per game, 38th in scoring and 97th in passing.
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles arrived the following year to fix the defense, but with one less spot available in the new 4-2-5 scheme, Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers rose to become the Buckeyes’ starters at linebacker. Simon still saw action in some 4-3 packages and in relief of the starting duo, collecting 32 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
Simon’s 2023 campaign was easily his most impressive yet. He got a springboard with a key fourth-down stop against Notre Dame on Sept. 23.
A big play for the @OhioStateFB defense stopping Sam Hartman on fourth down!
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 24, 2023
: NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/4FXbGA7ENq
From there Simon found more and more work in Knowles’ scheme. He had a breakout eight-tackle performance at Purdue on Oct. 14. He posted a nine-tackle outing at Rutgers on Nov. 4, then had a career night in place of Eichenberg against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, racking up 12 tackles against the Tigers.
Despite that progression and Laurinaitis’ compliments, Simon does not feel as though he’s “complete” as a player. But he’s making a daily commitment to try to get there.
“The development of linebackers, you can never be perfect,” Simon said. “I really believe that. We have so many good guys in our room (who) are super athletic, super smart, super talented. So I mean, he's being nice there. I’ve got a lot more I could be better at, and that's what camp is for. Every day, trying to get better.”
Where Simon felt called to take the biggest strides this offseason was in his leadership. With Eichenberg and Chambers both off to pursue professional football dreams, Simon is the room’s new sage.
“This year was really big for me leadership-wise and taking that next step,” Simon said. “You had guys that were big in the culture of your room, there’s a void that needs to be filled. This whole offseason has been about leadership and trying to lift yourself and the other leaders up, as well as bringing the guys below. I think I've gotten a lot better at coaching, at encouraging, at being a better teammate, and it's gotten me better as a player as well.”
One of the larger showcases of Simon’s leadership in the past year was when he became the first of eight players with NFL draft stock to return for this season’s defense, saying he’d be back before the Cotton Bowl was even played.
The youth of his position room have felt his leadership presence, too. Arvell Reese, who transitioned from defensive end to linebacker at the end of last year’s fall camp, has learned a great deal from Simon’s example.
“Cody Simon is really technical,” Reese said. “So just watching him, you can learn a lot. Just watching him at walkthroughs, you can learn a lot. So just picking his ear when I can and just watch him, taking mental reps.”
Simon is confident with Styles, Hicks and Reese, Ohio State will have the athleticism it needs to excel at the linebacker position in 2024. But he’ll be the backbone that drives the unit forward.
“Probably not because of me but, yeah, we’ve got some freaks on our team and in the linebacker room,” Simon said. “Like Sonny, C.J., Arvell, they are monsters. So having the balance of brains and brawn around the whole linebacker room is pretty cool.”
