Next Man Up: How Buckeyes can replace both starting linebackers

COLUMBUS — Ohio State underwent major defensive renovations during the last two seasons. Two of the project managers: Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers.

Yes, the two veteran Buckeyes linebackers were pivotal parts of the defensive renaissance that began in 2022 and continued last season. And after multiple years of service to the Buckeyes program, both Eichenberg and Chambers are in the early stages of their NFL careers.

So the Buckeyes have a pair of starting linebackers — and leaders — to replace. Lettermen Row is breaking down the options to replace those two linebackers in the teeth of the Ohio State defense as part of our ‘Next Man Up’ series. Let’s dive into it.

Names to know in Ohio State linebacker room

Cody Simon: The fifth-year senior will definitely be in the starting lineup — and a big part of leading a stacked defense. He was a key rotational piece alongside Eichenberg and Chambers, and he has plenty of experience in big moments. You’ll see a lot of Cody Simon for Ohio State this fall.

C.J. Hicks: The former five-star, can’t-miss prospect entered his third spring with high expectations after learning for a couple of years. He showed a lot of promise in March and April, taking nearly every rep with the first-team defense and impressing in the process. Hicks has the potential to be a star in this linebackers room. He’ll be a big part of it moving forward during his third year on campus.

Sonny Styles: After starting at safety all year last season, Sonny Styles is now transitioning into the Ohio State linebackers room. He’ll either start or be a major piece of a three-man linebacker rotation alongside Simon and Hicks. They could even be on the field together if the Buckeyes use a 4-3 look at any time. Styles is a special player. Ohio State knows it must use him often at his new position.

Gabe Powers: He just keeps lurking, finding ways into the conversation. Gabe Powers enters his third summer with the Buckeyes program as a depth piece who could become a contributor if the Buckeyes choose to roll with an expanded rotation. He had glimpses in the spring that showed he can make noise. Oh, and he’s going to be a key special teams player.

Arvell Reese: This spring was his first spring, and Arvell Reese keeps flashing as a future impact player. Whether that happens this fall just depends on how deep James Laurinaitis wants his linebacker rotation to go. Expect big things from Reese on special teams this year and on defense in the future.

The picks: Replacement by committee

The headline heading into spring practice was clear: Sonny Styles and his move to linebacker. After starting at safety last season for the Buckeyes, Styles moved into the box for a linebacker role after All-American safety Caleb Downs transferred in and gave the Buckeyes flexibility in the defense. But Styles is now sharing headlines coming out of spring when it comes to the linebacker room — because C.J. Hicks appears to have officially arrived. Hicks and Cody Simon ran with the first-team defense for the entirety of spring, bringing up questions about what this linebacker pecking order looks like. Add in a solid spring from Gabe Powers and Arvell Reese, and the Buckeyes could be five players deep at the linebacker position. How new linebackers coach James Laurinaitis and the defensive staff choose to deploy the linebackers and what the depth chart looks like heading into August is a big, burning question going into summer.

But it’s not expected that just two of these guys will take a majority of the reps. At minimum, it will be a three-man operation with Styles, Hicks and Simon. At most, the rotation could go much, much deeper.

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