Ohio State Linebacker Arvell Reese Disappointing 2024 Game Film

Arvell Reese, Arvell Reese, Arvell Reese…

I kept hearing the name Arvell Reese, the linebacker from Ohio State, and it got to the point where I knew I needed to watch his game film.

Not his 2025 film. Not yet.

First, I needed to look back to gain more of an understanding of his “full body of work.”

Disappointing.

That’s the one word I would use to describe his 2024 game film if I were sitting in a college scouting meeting on an NFL team and I was called upon to talk about Reese.

Yes, he can run like the wind.

Yes, he has an aggressive nature.

But, he’s raw.

He’s really raw.

Below average vs. inside run

Reese played inside linebacker in the rotation for Ohio State in 2024.

• Trouble shedding blocks
• Tended to take bad angles to the ball

Granted, Reese mustered up 43 tackles (18 solo) last season when he got in there, but he was the type of defender who tended to end up more around the pile rather than being the guy who made the stop. When he did make a tackle, he tended to come in low.

He’s just not what I envision as being an ideal run stopper in the middle of an NFL defense. Not based on what he put on film.

Observation ⎯

Reese seemed more interested in getting physical with blockers than he was in stopping the run.

Below average as a blitzer

• Zero pass rush moves shown in 16 games

Sometimes, Reese came on a “delayed” blitz. Sometimes full speed ahead. Either way, he was toast if he encountered any blockers. Pro Football Focus credits him with 19 “pass rush” snaps in 2024, four hurries, zero quarterback hits, and three sacks.

I wasn’t impressed.

Good at pass coverage

Like I said, Reese can run. His speed is his best trait.

Reese looked natural dropping into short area zones (defender is responsible for defending a certain area of the field), and he can run with anyone in man coverage (defender is responsible for defending a certain offensive skill position player).

The only problem ⎯

He didn’t make any plays on the ball.

2024 pass coverage stats:

• 0 passes defended
• 0 interceptions

What’s he best at?

Reese excels at defending the perimeters of the field.

Again, for the third time, he can run.

He’s that defender who can get out on screen passes, and he can cut anyone off at the pass if they are trying to get up the sidelines and go.

His greatest value on his 2024 film was preventing homeruns outside the numbers.

Dropping the hammer

This is another thing that Reese excels at.

He blasts people if he has everything lined up right.

Reese is physical.

Further perspective…

Reese is one of these prospects that the NFL Draft community started hyping during the 2025 season. Per NFL Mock Draft Database, Reese was ranked somewhere between the No. 400 and No. 519 from July 12 to September 6 (2025).

Then his draft stock skyrocketed.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid had him projected as high as No. 6 overall on October 15.

So who knows…

Maybe he figured it out this off-season?

#20 (his jersey number in 2024) Arvell Reese 6-foot-4, 243 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Fall Grade: Fourth-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of October 22, 2025

2024 game film evaluated: Akron, Western Michigan, Marshall, Michigan State, Iowa, Oregon, Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue, Northwestern, Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Disqualified vs. Nebraska for targeting

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Athletic run and hit linebacker who lacks instincts and pass-rush upside. Elastic Spiderman athlete. Energetic. Flashed quick twitch. Follows play flow and is susceptible to misdirection. Much more of a support player than a playmaker. Frees up others to make plays. Has to see it to believe it. Disciplined. Shows some level of hesitancy from time to time. Average dependability as a tackler.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. How does he look against the run?

2. Any pass rush moves shown?

3. Making plays in pass coverage?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.