Ohio State Defender Gets Personal on First Season With Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes were loaded up and down the roster this past season, especially on the defensive side of the ball where they boasted the best unit in the country.

As a result, linebacker Garrett Stover didn't really see the field during his freshman season, playing in five games without registering a single statistic.

But now that some of Ohio State's players are making the jump to the NFL and Stover has some more experience, he could get some real playing time in his sophomore campaign.

The Sunbury, Oh. native recently opened up about his inaugural season at Columbus, and it was pretty much what you would expect from a first-year player.

“I would say the first year was full of ups and downs,” Stover said, via Eleven Warriors. “I think it’s a whole learning process. When you first step on campus, you’re seeing how everything runs and look up to the older guys to see how they do things at Ohio State. Even someone like me who grew up an Ohio State fan their whole life, there’s still so much to learn."

Stover added that he hopes to "play more confident" in Year 2, which will certainly be needed for him to actual receive considerable time on the gridiron with one of the nation's premier football programs.

The younger brother of former Buckeyes tight end Cade Stover, Garrett fortunately has an example, but he also needs to figure things out for himself.

“Every day brings something new. Especially at Ohio State, every day’s hard, you have to come ready to work," Stover said. "I want to keep learning the defense and work with coach [Mickey Marotti] to get bigger, faster and stronger."

We'll see if Stover can ultimately make an impact in 2025.

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