A series of profiles on members of the Buckeyes’ 2020 recruiting class who redshirted their true freshman seasons, including a look back at how their first year went, and an evaluation of where they stand in the program ahead of 2021.

The last time Ohio State linebacker coach Al Washington spoke with media about a healthy Mitchell Melton, there was cause for excitement about the development of the former No. 44-rated outside linebacker recruit in America.

“Cody Simon and Mitchell Melton man, those are two just young studs man,” Washington said in late March. “They handle themselves like pros.”

Just over a week later though, a major setback struck the Olney, Maryland, native. Melton hobbled out to one of the Buckeyes’ open spring practice sessions on crutches, and head coach Ryan Day confirmed hours later that it would not be a quick recovery process.

“It’s gonna be a long-term injury without getting into details with Mitch, unfortunately,” Day said.

It was an unfortunate twist indeed for Melton, who did not log a single snap at linebacker for the Buckeyes last season as veterans Tuf Borland, Baron Browning, Pete Werner and Justin Hilliard dominated the playing time.

So long was the tenure of the aforementioned corps that some combination of a trio of seniors in Teradja Mitchell, Dallas Gant and K’Vaughan Pope were thought to become first-time starters as spring began.

That would have delayed the likelihood of Melton receiving significant time in Year Two anyway, even with the likes of Gant missing the spring with an ankle injury, but a long-term recovery will only delay it further.

Meanwhile, injuries allowed Simon –– Melton’s more highly-touted class of 2020 counterpart –– to log quite a bit more snaps with the first-team defense alongside Mitchell and company this spring, and look good doing so.

Simon played just 14 snaps last season, but with multiple NFL-caliber linebackers at the top of the depth chart, Washington’s rotation was always going to be somewhat impregnable for the upcoming group of Buckeyes in his room.

However, Washington said in March that the departing bunch more than made their impression on Melton and company.

“Cody Simon and Mitchell Melton got schooled on what it looks like to be a linebacker here. So they handle themselves the right way,” Washington said. “They’re very talented, I think everybody that comes to Ohio State for the most part has a certain foundation of talent. But they’re very talented, they’re very bright, and they just need reps.”

Of course, we’d be remiss not to mention the latest piece of the puzzle for Washington’s unit, coming by way of USC transfer and former five-star recruit Palaie Gaoteote, who seems to have joined the Buckeye program this offseason despite no official confirmation.

Gaoteote’s credentials indicate he would be an immediate starter for the Buckeyes, which could slow the quick ascension of a prospect like Simon.

What it will mean for Mitchell, though, remains unclear, as there is no official timetable for his recovery as of now.