Bill Davis, who served two up-and-down years as the linebackers coach for Ohio State will not return for the 2019 season. Davis joined the Buckeyes in December 2016, following the departure of Luke Fickell to Cincinnati. But even when he was first added to the staff, he was viewed as an unconventional hire.
Urban Meyer is stepping down as the head ball coach and Ryan Day will take over after the Rose Bowl. There’s been a Heisman Trophy ceremony and if you were one of the thousands of people who thought there were only two finalists (because you read a national media outlet’s social media posts) you might be surprised…
The Ohio State linebackers have been under fire from offenses and outsiders for the past two seasons. “Why are they so close to the line of scrimmage,” people ask. “If they weren’t so close, they would be able to make more plays.” Defensive coordinator Greg Schiano heard those criticisms, but likely only from his head coach.
When Urban Meyer took the Ohio State head coaching job in November 2011, he made the expectations for his coaching staff crystal clear. “I think Ohio State deserves the best group of assistant coaches in America,” he said at his introductory press conference. Some will be (from Luke Fickell’s 2011) staff. Some will…
The Ohio State linebackers have had their ups and downs this season, and with Penn State’s offense on the horizon, now would not be the time for one of those unhappy valleys. Penn State leads the conference in rushing, averaging 275 yards on the ground per game. They also lead with a 6.4-yard-per-carry average and 20…
This spring, the Buckeyes rotated their linebackers quite a bit looking to find their best three. With starting middle linebacker Tuf Borland out, however, the situation was pretty fluid. Also missing was fifth-year senior Dante Booker, who was recovering from shoulder surgery. While much of the attention was directed…
Ohio State will have three freshman linebackers on the roster this season and expectations are high for each of them. Teradja Mitchell, Dallas Gant, and K’Vaughan Pope were all blue-chip recruits last year. Mitchell was the No. 2 inside linebacker. Pope was the No. 9 inside linebacker. And Gant was the No. 10 outside linebacker.
When it comes to being a versatile football player, it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish starting. The Ohio State linebackers as a group showcase this versatility with their ability to switch positions. Most of the OSU linebackers played more than one spot this spring. Wills spent time at Sam, Sams at Will, and…
Ohio State has three freshman linebackers on the roster this season, and with the new redshirt rules announced on Wednesday, you should expect to see each of them on the field this year. One of those linebackers, however, has had a head start on the other two. Dallas Gant enrolled in January and took part in spring practice.
I am not a technical football guy either. I’m self taught, which means that I could successfully perform an emergency tracheotomy with a pen, but I would most definitely be sued for doing so. We have talked about the linebackers in depth on Accost the Field from time to time. For me, it is the most interesting position to watch this year.
Ohio State must replace 49 career starts at the linebacker position this season. With two-year starters Jerome Baker and Chris Worley now gone, the Buckeyes not only went about replacing their production, but also their leadership. That process took a hit this spring when third-year sophomore middle linebacker…
