Linebackers are set to be extremely important in Jim Knowles' defense.
In the new Ohio State defensive coordinator's playbook, the linebacker position is more fluid and is expected to do a bit of everything, including sharing responsibilities inside and outside no matter who the player is.
“A guy who has all kinds of football skills, one, that’s important, but, two, the mental understanding, and that’s why they do get a lot of stats because we put them in position to make plays,” Knowles said. “A lot of times, we funnel things to them and the safeties. They’re there and they got to get the job done, so they have to understand the scheme and where they fit.”
The linebacker room could be changing a bit in this new era of the Ohio State defense. So how will it look in the near future?
Let's take a look at a succession plan.
Starters are in bold.
Previous Positions
2022
Mike linebacker
1. Tommy Eichenberg
2. Teradja Mitchell
3. Palaie Gaoteote IV
4. C.J. Hicks
Will linebacker
1. Steele Chambers
2. Cody Simon
3. Reid Carrico
4. Gabe Powers
The first three in the rotation seem set with starters Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers along with Cody Simon returning as major contributors from last year's team. But with Knowles coming in as defensive coordinator, the landscape of the linebacker position is changing.
There will likely be only two spots in the middle of the defense for the majority of the defensive snaps, with the SAM position coming in against heavy tight-end sets like Wisconsin and Iowa. This leaves only two spots for an overflowing room with a lot of talent to work with.
However, there seems to be a lot of room for change, with newcomers C.J. Hicks, Gabe Powers and converted Arizona State running back Chip Trayanum vying for playing time with players like Reid Carrico, Teradja Mitchell and Palaie Gaoteote IV. Depending on the development of each of the younger players in Knowles' room, the depth chart could change easily in 2022.
