The Four BIGGEST Linebacker Concerns

Ohio State lost two elite linebackers from last year’s national championship defense, so how concerned should Buckeye fans be about the position in 2026?

In this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discuss the biggest linebacker concerns facing Ohio State this season, including the challenge of replacing Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese, the pressure on Payton Pierce as the new leader of the defense, the importance of tackling consistency, and how much Riley Pettijohn, Christian Allegro, TJ Alford, Eli Lee, and others could factor into the rotation.

The Buckeyes may not have two first-round linebackers again, but can Matt Patricia and the Ohio State defense still find the right answers?

Join us at BuckeyeInsiders.com for more Ohio State football coverage, message board discussion, insider analysis, and more.

00:00 Welcome to the Buckeye Weekly Podcast
01:01 BuckeyeInsiders.com is live
01:56 The biggest concerns at linebacker
02:25 Replacing Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese
03:17 Can Ohio State still have very good linebacker play?
05:41 Why the Buckeyes don’t have to replace everyone one-for-one
06:25 Concern No. 2: Tackling without Sonny Styles
07:26 How much does Ohio State’s margin for error shrink?
09:15 The impact of losing Caleb Downs behind the linebackers
10:20 Concern No. 3: Payton Pierce taking over the defense
11:25 Why Pierce may already be prepared for the role
13:09 Concern No. 4: Figuring out Riley Pettijohn’s role
14:20 Why missing spring matters for Pettijohn
15:26 How TJ Alford and C.J. Hicks-style versatility could help the rotation
16:28 Eli Lee, depth, coaching, and final thoughts
17:10 Subscribe, comment, and join BuckeyeInsiders.com