Arvell Reese

Former linebacker at Ohio State. 2025: 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks.

LB · Ohio State · Jr. · #8

6′4″ · 243 lb · Cleveland, OH

CFB Index 84 · #38 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceConsensus AADrafted by New York — Rd 1, Pick 5, #5 overall

On production he ranks #38 of 583 LBs; on reputation he is a consensus All-American. The gap between those two numbers is the story.

How he plays

Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.

Sacks: 98th percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

tackles · 2025

10 TFL · 6.5 sacks · 2 PBU

Best game: 12 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 sacks, vs Penn State

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former linebacker at Ohio State. 2025: 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks.

Signed as a 4-star recruit to Ohio State in 2023.
Drafted round 1 by the New York in 2026.
Named All-America (AFCA) in 2025.

The full story, with sources

Career, closed

Gone at #5 overall.

How it ended

Two seasons at Ohio State, 112 tackles, an All-American season (2025) — drafted at #5 overall by New York.

His career

He arrived as a blue-chip recruit and played like one.

2023

Signed with Ohio State4-star out of Glenville

202514 games

All-Big Tenfirst
All-America10 selectors
Big Ten Butkus–Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Yearwinner

2026

Drafted by New Yorkround 1, pick 5

Career arc

Recruit

★★★★

#212 national

CFB

College

Ohio State

2024–2025

NFL

NFL Draft

R1 · #5

New York · 2026

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

12 honors · 2 categories

🏆

ALL-AMERICA · CONSENSUS

Consensus AA (2025)

8 first-team selectors

🥈

ALL-BIG TEN · 1ST TEAM

All-Big Ten 1st team (2025)

Where He Ended Up · NFL

New York2026 NFL rookie season

#5Rd 1 · Pick 5

New York2026 NFL rookie season

View college career stats ↓

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2 seasons under Ryan Day — 26-4 over that span.

2024Ohio State14-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning, slow tempo

2025Ohio State12-2HC: Ryan Day · Run-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

84All-Conference level #38 of 583?

High confidenceBreakout6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: sacks (98th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (96th percentile).

Box-score production (6)

Sacks#55 / 2975 · 98th pct

6.5

Tackles for loss#103 / 2975 · 96th pct

10.0

QB hurries#188 / 2975 · 92nd pct

Tackles#280 / 2975 · 90th pct

Solo tackles#386 / 2975 · 87th pct

Passes defended#777 / 2975 · 67th pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 14 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home9g	5.3	0.6	0.4	0.2
Road5g	4.2	0.9	0.5	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	6.4	0.6	0.6	0.3
Weeks 8+7g	3.4	0.8	0.3	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Ryan Day

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

Consensus All-American

First team on a majority of the recognized selector lists.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

84 · #38 of 583 LBs

Former four-star. Now #38 at the position.

Selector Grid · 2025

AP—

FWAA—

AFCA—

WCFF—

SN—

SI—

Named Consensus All-American — recognized on 3+ of the 5 NCAA-recognized selector lists.

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	Ohio State	69	34	10.0	6.5	2	--	--
2024	Ohio State	43	18	3.5	0.5	--	--	--
Career		112	52	13.5	7.0	2	--	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 5 · 2025

W 24–6

at Washington

5 TOT · 3 SOLO

With J. Sayin — 208 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 88.9 · 12 rush yds (4 car) · B. Inniss — 3 rec · 34 yds

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week