Ohio State will lean on Sonny Styles to anchor its linebacker corps, while elite safety Caleb Downs patrols the secondary. But when asked about standout athletes on the roster, Styles pointed to another name — and he didn’t hold back.
Downs has already drawn NFL Draft buzz, and Styles returns after racking up 100 tackles for last year’s national champions. Speaking to 247Sports, the linebacker urged fans to keep an eye on Arvell Reese — a physical near-clone of himself at 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds.
“You’ve got two big, fast, strong linebackers who can do a lot of different things,” Styles said. “I’m excited to see what (defensive coordinator Matt) Patricia can do with us this year. I think he has a lot of confidence in our room.”
Styles, who will line up next to Reese this season, couldn’t stop praising the junior.
“He’s an amazing athlete. A crazy athlete,” Styles said. “Go look at the numbers — he can do pretty much anything you ask on the field. Honestly, he could be one of the top defensive players in the country.”
That’s a chilling thought for opposing offenses already tasked with dealing with Styles and Downs.
Arvell Reese is set to make his mark on the Buckeyes’ defense — right alongside Sonny Styles.
Arvell Reese made the most of his opportunities last season, racking up 43 total tackles — 18 of them solo. The rangy linebacker put together back-to-back impact performances, posting seven stops against Northwestern and matching that total two weeks later against Michigan.
His role only grew as the season went on. Reese saw action in every College Football Playoff game, tallying six combined tackles against Tennessee, Texas, and Notre Dame.
A prized four-star signee in Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class, Reese committed with help from then–defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. His talent has already drawn notice, with 247Sports projecting him as a potential Day 3 NFL Draft pick.
“Shows he can shoot gaps and play the run. Has good physicality and will take on blocks, shed and make the play. Good hitter who arrives with impact. Generates explosion without needing to load up. Should only get better with that as he gets bigger and stronger,” analyst Allen Trieu of 247Sports wrote.
Now, Reese is pairing with Sonny Styles to inject fresh energy into Ohio State’s linebacker unit — and the veteran can’t stop raving about the junior’s “crazy” athleticism.
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