Ohio State’s defense may have an X-factor that no one in college football is talking about

Ohio State held out a key starter due to injury for the first game of the season and it allowed another player that not many people are talking about to step up.

Linebacker Cody Simon was unable to go against Akron and could return against Western Michigan, so it was sophomore Arvell Reese who stepped up in a big way. Reese didn’t handle defensive on-field play-calling duties like Simon did, but he played very well and was a bright spot.

Reese had four tackles against the Zips and one of them was a tackle for loss. The Cleveland native was flying around to find the football and made his mark in the first game of the season.

"The way that Arvell played, he deserves more reps, but I think it has to do with his preparation,” head coach Ryan Day explained on Tuesday. “There was a point in the week where he dug in and did a really good job with his preparation. He had to prepare at a high level, and once you do that, then the game can slow down for you. I mean, you see the athletic ability. Any coach in America would love to have someone like that."

Reeese’s athletic ability helps him fly around and is one of the reasons that he is able to see the field as a true sophomore. Last season, Reese appeared in six games but did not record a tackle. Coming out of high school, Reese was a 4-star player with 25 offers around the country.

Simon could be back as early as Week 2 and will handle the middle linebacker job when he returns. Still, the linebacker rotation is going to matter more than ever and Ohio State will rotate fresh bodies. Reese is one of those depth pieces that could see the field a ton for the Buckeyes.

It was only against Akron , but Reese’s play popped off the screen and it was easy to see why Ohio State is high on the linebacker. If he can build off of it, he could be another special piece to the puzzle for the Buckeyes.

Related: Akron’s Joe Moorhead compares Ohio State to one of college football’s best teams ever following lopsided game