The Ohio State Buckeyes are entering 2026 with the biggest question mark hanging over their heads: who will replace the diabolical duo of first-rounders Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles? For much of the offseason, replacing them looked like a difficult challenge. But after spring practice and the spring game, Ohio State is starting to get a clearer idea of who could step up at the position. The Buckeyes may not need one player to fully replace Reese or Styles by himself. They might need 3, least to say.

Christian Alliegro

One of the biggest positives from Ohio State’s spring practice was how comfortable Christian Alliegro looked in the defense. The former Wisconsin linebacker joined the Buckeyes through the transfer portal to bring experience and leadership to the linebacker room. Very quickly, he showed why the coaching staff trusted him enough to bring him to Columbus.

During his career at Wisconsin, Alliegro proved he could be a productive and physical linebacker. Over three seasons, he recorded 124 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and eight sacks. Even last season, while missing some time with injuries, he still finished with four sacks and eight tackles for loss in only ten games.

This spring, Alliegro looked confident with the first-team defense. He communicated well, reacted quickly, and played fast against the run. Linebacker is one of the hardest positions because players must read the offense and make quick decisions. So far, Alliegro looks ready for that challenge.

Christian has to be the most versatile of the bunch. At Wisconsin, he helped against the run, rushed the passer, and lined up in different spots on the field. The Buckeyes may use him the same way this season. He may not fully replace Arvell Reese’s athleticism, but that experience and his Big Ten shall do favours for the Buckeyes.

Payton Pierce

Payton Pierce continues to look like one of the most dependable linebackers on Ohio State’s roster. Last season, he played behind Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese, but still earned the trust of the coaching staff. He finished the year with 43 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 14 games.

He was quite consistent on this spring. Pierce worked often with the first-team defense and looked comfortable during the spring game.

He was all over the field and making plays time and time again. He recorded 5 total tackles, tied for the second-most on the roster during the exhibition. The coaches are thrilled with his progress and have a ton of trust in him. James Laurinaitis worked closely with him to fine-tune his game so he can become the QB of the Buckeye defense.

Now that Reese and Styles are gone, Pierce’s expected to play a much bigger role in 2026. Last season, he mostly played as a backup behind experienced players. This year, Ohio State will count on him much more, especially in run defense situations.

Riley Pettijohn

Even with the strong spring from Christian Alliegro and Payton Pierce, Riley Pettijohn may still have the highest upside in Ohio State’s linebacker room. He missed most of spring practice because he had to undergo shoulder surgery.

But the Buckeyes still believe he can become a very important player for the defense.Pettijohn came to Ohio State as one of the top linebacker recruits in his class. At around 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, he has very good speed and bags of tricks to get around the O-line. Even though he only played a handful of games, those abilities were easy to see on the field. His recovery is tracking ahead of schedule, and he’s expected to be 100% healthy for summer workouts.

During the 2025 season, Pettijohn finished with nine tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pass breakup. Ohio State also likes that Pettijohn can play different roles on the defense. His athleticism allows the Buckeyes to use him in any coverage, be it blitzes or any other different defensive packages.

If he keeps improving after returning healthy, Pettijohn could easily become much more than a backup player. By the end of the season, he could become one of the most important linebackers on the team.