Imagine telling an Ohio State fan in 2022 that Cody Simon would earn legend status in a legendary tradition of Buckeye linebackers.
That year, Simon served as a backup to Tommy Eichenberg and converted running back Steele Chambers. Simon, the linebackers and the rest of the defense had immense struggles in 2021, prompting a change in defensive coordinator from Kerry Coombs to Jim Knowles.
Fast forward to 2024 and Simon rattled off one of the best four-game runs an Ohio State linebacker has ever had while quietly posting one of the best statistical seasons in the Urban Meyer or Ryan Day eras at the position. And as Will Howard will be forever remembered as a national title-winning quarterback for the Buckeyes, Simon should be remembered as their national title-winning defensive quarterback.
"This guy is one of the great leaders that I've been around, Cody Simon," Ryan Day said after Ohio State's national championship win.
Late bloomers aren't commonplace at talent factories like those owned by Ohio State. Most players pop during their first two to three years on campus. But there are exceptions to that rule, and Simon is one of them.
It took three seasons for Simon to win a starting job back after he played a pivotal role for the maligned 2021 defense, making 10 starts. He did an admirable job filling in for Tommy Eichenberg when the 2023 defense's star Mike linebacker was injured and put in good work as the Buckeyes' No. 3 backer all season, collecting 57 tackles and three tackles for loss. But few predicted what transpired from Simon when he took over at Mike in 2024.
A 112-tackle season is impressive in its own right, but Simon's contributions from sideline to sideline and end zone to end zone are what made him so impactful. His seven sacks were the most by an Ohio State linebacker since Darron Lee's 7.5 in 2014, his 12.5 TFLs the most since 2019 (16.5 by Malik Harrison) and his seven pass breakups the most since 2018 (seven by Pete Werner).
Simon was one of the team's top leaders, a captain and the 2024 "Block O" jersey recipient. As much credit as Jack Sawyer has rightfully been given for his efforts spearheading the return of the Buckeyes' seniors ahead of 2024, Simon also led the charge in that regard, per Day. He was the first of the group to announce he'd come back, the only one to do it before the 2023 Cotton Bowl. Unlike most others, though, it was for his fifth season, not just his fourth.
“This guy is one of the great leaders that I've been around.”– Ryan Day on Cody Simon
Overcoming such adversity to become a star for a national title team is perhaps a microcosm of Ohio State's entire title run in 2024, which started with the ultimate adversity around Columbus, a loss to Michigan.
"The humility and the resilience of not only the seniors, but just everyone on our team," Simon said when describing the story of Ohio State’s national championship run. "People deciding to come back for another year when they could have made all the money in the NFL and be first-round picks, they came back for the love of the brotherhood and the appreciation for the culture and all their teammates. I think that story is about determination, resilience, humility, thankfulness, faithfulness, just everything good that comes out of a team game and a team sport."
As dominant as the 2024 College Football Playoff was for Ohio State's entire defense, there's an argument that Simon was its best player in the CFP.
He earned not one but two Defensive Player of the Game awards during the run, garnering one after a 41-21 Rose Bowl smashing of Oregon and another after the Buckeyes' 34-23 national title game win over Notre Dame. Across four games, he combined for a team-high 38 tackles with four TFLs, two sacks and two PBUs, one of which secured a fourth-down stop against the Ducks.
“Cody is, you know, future President of the United States,” Knowles said after the Rose Bowl. “He's an unbelievable human being and a great team leader. So when you see guys like that shine and put them in position to make plays, it's a really good feeling.”
There's rarified air when it comes to the great linebackers in Ohio State history. There are All-Americans, Butkus Award winners, even Pro Football Hall of Famers in that fraternity. Randy Gradishar, Tom Cousineau, Chris Spielman, Andy Katzenmoyer, A.J. Hawk, James Laurinaitis (also Simon's coach in 2024), Ryan Shazier – that’s some elite company to speak of becoming a Buckeye legend at the position.
Simon was never an All-American or a candidate for the Butkus Award, but he captured something none of those names listed above captured while they were starters at Ohio State – a national title. And he was an irreplaceable part of it.
"We knew that the end goal was to win this game and we knew that our foundation was meant to survive for this game," Simon said after he and his teammates hoisted the CFP championship trophy. "So I just appreciate that all the guys were up for the challenge and that we all stuck together. Because there was times we could have really frayed apart."
