How the Ohio State Buckeyes Will Replace Arvell Reese in 2026

As the 2026 season approaches, the Ohio State Buckeyes are once again faced with the unenviable task of needing to replace a ton of talented players that will now strive to leave their mark in the NFL.

One of the most unique challenges for this year, though, will be how the Buckeyes replace hybrid linebacker/edge Arvell Reese, a consensus All-American and the Big Ten Linebacker of the year in 2025 who went fifth overall to the New York Giants.

If replacing any Top-5 draft pick in any given year is hard on its own, filling Reese’s distinctive role at Ohio State is a tall task.

Three current Buckeyes stand out as candidates so far, but it might take a while for any of them to really grasp Reese’s role entirely.

Riley Pettijohn

At 6’ 2’’ and 231 pounds, Pettijohn is a highly athletic linebacker who, nonetheless, isn’t as physically imposing as Reese.

The sophomore out of McKinney, Texas, played in 13 games last season as a freshman, racking up 9.0 tackles, one tackle for a loss, one forced fumble, and scored once on a fumble recovery.

Former Buckeyes’ linebacker Sonny Styles, who was selected two picks after Reese by the Commanders, seems to be a big believer in Pettijohn though, noting an ability to rush the passer that wasn’t really on display much last year in Columbus.

“Riley Pettijohn, super athletic guy, has great rush ability, great bend, but he’s also really good off the ball,” said Styles to the media at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Just a young guy, he’s working his way up, and I’m super excited to see him.”

While Pettijohn could certainly fill in for Reese as the middle linebacker, it’s hard to project him tacking on much bigger offensive tackles routinely when lining up on the edge in this hybrid role.

Christian Alliegro

A transfer from Wisconsin, Alliegro has somewhat of a size advantage for the role, at 6’4’’ and 241 pounds, and he’s coming off a season where he amassed 8.0 tackles for a loss and 4.0 sacks for the Badgers.

Experience is on Alliegro’s side, too, as he’s already played three full college seasons. However, he also played mostly off the ball, and is more of a read and react type, though it remains to be seen what he can do in a more attacking role when lined up on the edge regularly.

Expect to see him line up strongside and on the edge for the Buckeyes, but not at the middle linebacker spot which Payton Pierce has seemingly claimed. Alliegro’s workload is still to be determined, and could depend in large part on the third and final name on our list. .

Cincere Johnson

From a physical standpoint, the freshman is already the best fit on the Buckeyes’ roster to succeed Reese, just as he did at Glenville High. The connection between the top linebacker drafted in the most recent NFL Draft, and the top linebacker in the class of 2026 goes beyond just playing for the same high school and college, though.

“That’s my best friend,” Johnson said of Reese back in May 2025, according to Eleven Warriors. “He was my mentor coming into high school. He kind of helped put me on the map and showed me the ropes.”

At 6’3’’ 238 pounds with room to grow, Johnson is already being called ‘Baby Arvell Reese,’ but there’s no guarantee Johnson can find enough playing time as a freshman to really shine week after week.

One of the most overlooked aspects of this debate is, not even Arvell Reese was Arvell Reese before last year. Here's the guy earning such high praise as this, from former Ohio State All-American linebacker, Ryan Shazier: "Arvell’s a guy who can end up being the best defensive player in the NFL down the road. He has so much talent." But remember, he was only a full-time starter for one year, which makes his meteoric rise exceptionally difficult to replicate.

That being said, it might take more than one guy to do everything that Reese’s was doing for the Buckeyes in 2025, and by definition that means no one guy would be actually replacing him.

It took some time for Reese to develop into the star he became, and even if Johnson -- or anybody else -- possesses some similar tools, it’s reasonable to assume it would take some time to develop them, as well.

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