Former Ohio State Buckeyes Star Resurrecting NFL Career

This former Ohio State Buckeyes star is quietly having an impressive NFL season with the New Orleans Saints.

Dec 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) looks up at fans before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

When Chase Young entered the 2020 NFL Draft, he was surrounded by insatiable hype. Many had him pegged as one of the best defensive end prospects in years, and it seemed to be only a matter of time before the Ohio State Buckeyes legend stamped his name among the NFL's best.

Young was selected by the Washington Commanders with the No. 2 overall pick, and during his rookie campaign, he appeared to be on the road to stardom after racking up 44 tackles, 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.

Since then, however, it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for Young.

The 25-year-old played in a combined 12 games over the next couple of seasons due to rampant injury issues, and during that time, he logged a grand total of 1.5 sacks.

The Commanders then traded Young to the San Francisco 49ers midway through the 2023 campaign, and while he was a part of the 49ers' run to the Super Bowl, he didn't exactly make a huge impact.

Young would go on to sign a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints in free agency, and through 14 games this season, he has registered 25 tackles, 7.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Those aren't exactly eye-popping numbers, but here's the thing: the Ohio State product appears to be rounding in the form in the second half of 2024.

He recorded just the second multi-sack game of his career in Week 15, and three-and-a-half of his sacks have come over the last five games.

What's more, Young has racked up a career-high 21 quarterback hits this season, and he has posted 56 total pressures, which ranks ninth in the NFL (per Pro Football Focus).

Young may not be rattling off a ton of sacks, but he is clearly making his presence felt, and he is setting himself up for a fairly big pay day in NFL free agency this coming offseason.

The Upper Marlboro, Md. native may never lived up to his lofty NFL Draft billing, but he very well could be establishing himself as a legitimate threat in the trenches.