Ohio State football comes into the 2016 season needing to replace a lot. They lost a total of 16 regular starters on both sides of the football, the most of any Power Five school. A record 12 of them were drafted by NFL teams. As such, questions abound as to whether the Buckeyes can maintain the elite level of play that has defined Urban Meyer‘s four years in Columbus.
On defense, eight starters from last season’s 12-1 campaign have departed. Two of those players, Darron Lee and Joshua Perry, comprised one of the most fearsome linebacking corps in college football. The unit combined for 290 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and ten pass breakups in 2015.
But one remains, and it will be up to him to provide on-field leadership for a team short on experience.
His name is Raekwon McMillan.
Raekwon McMillan: The Ohio State Linebacking Corps’ New Leader
From High School Phenom to Big Ten Stalwart
The junior linebacker enters 2016 having regularly contributed during both of his previous two seasons. As a true freshman, he appeared in all 15 games for the eventual national champions. He ended up finishing sixth on the team with seven tackles for loss. Last year, he led the Buckeyes with 119 tackles and finished second to only cornerback Gareon Conley with four pass breakups.
It really isn’t much of a surprise that he’s become so integral to OSU’s defensive identity so quickly. The Hinesville, GA native was rated as the number one linebacker in the nation and top high school recruit out of his state according to Rivals.com. He was also the lone five-star prospect from Meyer’s consensus top-five 2014 class.
McMillan’s already racked up quite a few accolades. He collected freshman all-American honors from numerous publications in 2014. A year later, he finished third in the Butkus Award voting while also making the conference media’s first team all-Big Ten.
Enhanced Expectations for 2016
But 2016 is going to be different. No longer is McMillan the young gun of the Buckeye linebackers. He’s now the main man and will be counted on to provide the kind of veteran presence you expect out of an upperclassmen.
This is especially the case considering the lack of game reps among current linebackers on the roster. The two anticipated starters at outside linebacker, Dante Booker and Chris Worley, combined for 39 tackles last year. They’ve managed just 57 for their entire career. To put that in perspective, McMillan tallied 119 by himself in 2015.
Expectations are undoubtedly high for the OSU middle linebacker. McMillan’s name is expected to be mentioned throughout the season in connection with a number of prestigious awards. It’s why he’s on the preseason watch list for the Bednarik, Nagurski, Butkus and Walter Camp Awards.
And of course, there’s the prospect of furthering his football career at the next level. Coach Meyer has certainly established a track record at developing players that NFL scouts rave about. The fact that 17 Buckeyes have been drafted over the past two years confirms that notion.
McMillan and quarterback J.T. Barrett are expected to be the hottest NFL prospects on the roster. Both will have exhausted three years of eligibility when this year’s all set and done. With their stock already at an elevated level, a standout season from either will all but assure both their names are called fairly early next April.
Can McMillan Channel That Edge to Get to the Next Level?
Going into the first few days of preseason camp this week, Meyer has stressed the importance of players having a certain edge about them. What does this entail? Basically, it comes down to digging deep and pushing yourself past your limit.
“The edge is where average stops and elite begins,” Meyer emphasized at Monday’s press conference after day one of camp. “And the great players we’ve been around, those are when they become their best is when it gets real hard.”
That mantra has been the ethos of an Ohio State defense was among the nation’s best last season. The Buckeyes were the second best team nationally in points allowed per game (15.1). They also finished ninth in total defense (311.3 yards per game). McMillan’s versatility as demonstrated by the sheer volume of his tackle numbers and his ability to drop into coverage played a key role.
McMillan’s emergence as one of the Big Ten’s top linebackers during his time as a Buckeye is testament to that aforementioned inner drive Meyer expects his players to find. It will now be up to him to translate that into more of a leadership role on an inexperienced defensive unit. With a huge road showdown against Oklahoma looming in week three, it won’t be long before he’s put to the test in that regard.
