Ohio State produces NFL players as good as any team in the NFL. No one will question that. But the way the Buckeyes produce defensive players, especially those on the defensive line, is getting eerie.
On Saturday dAt the NFL Honors ceremony, the former Scarlet and Gray star and the current Washington Football Team defensive end Chase Young was named Defensive Rookie of the Year of the league. Young becomes the fourth former Ohio State player to win this award in the past five seasons. San Deigo Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa took home the award in 2016 and was followed by New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore a year later. After the Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard won the award in 2017, it went back to Buckeyes then Nick Bosa was voted Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and for Young this season.
Young finished his rookie season with 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, 44 total tackles, 1o for loss, 12 quarterback hits, 7.5 sacks, four passes defended, three fumbles and a touchdown. He shined late in the season with a five-game stretch that earned Washington the NFC East title and a playoff berth, Young picked up three sacks, made 15 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, forced two fumbles and recovered three, including one he gave back 47 yards for his first-ever NFL touchdown on that run.
After coming to the state of Ohio as a five-star prospect, Young had to wait his time to show that he was a star. But when he got the chance to be the defensive man for the Buckeyes in 2019, Young shined.
As a junior in 2019, Young proved himself the best defensive player in college football, by rewriting Scarlet and Gray’s defensive line records. The Ohio State captain registered 46 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks – an Ohio State record – and seven forced fumbles. Young finished fourth in the 2019 Heisman Trophy voting after a trip to New York City with teammate Justin Fields. The defensive ending took the Bednarik Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Ted Hendricks Award, the Chicago Tribune Silver Football and was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten and unanimous All American.
Young was the national leader bag and bag per game (1.38) in 2019 while finishing second in tackles for loss and tackles for loss per game (1.8). He was a key part in an Ohio State No. 1 defense in total defense (259.7 yards per game), No. 2 in passing yardage (156.0 yards per game), red zone scores (66 percent) and pass efficiency (97.50) and No. 4 in scoring (13.7 points per game).
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The defensive ending ended his Ohio State career with 31 career sacks, the second-most in program history, and, after declared early, was selected by the Redskins No. 2 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.