Ohio State football’s Linebackers Coach James Laurinaitis will usher in a new group of Silver Bullets on defense for the Buckeyes in 2026.

On April 23rd of this year, Ohio State became the first school to have two linebackers selected in the top 10 picks of the NFL draft. Arvell Reese would go 5th overall to the Giants, and Sonny Styles followed as the 7th overall pick to the Commanders. A historic feat not just for the program but also for Linebacker coach and Buckeye legend James Laurinaitis.

However, the celebration will be short-lived, as Laurinaitis and the rest of the defensive staff now have to work to fill a massive void in the middle of the defense. After all, the duo combined for 151 tackles, 16.5 TFL, and 7.5 sacks in 2025 alone. This is where the talent acquired and developed by the staff becomes the focus. James had developed two bona fide stars at his position, one of whom even began as a safety in Sonny Styles. It is time for him to work his magic yet again.

Christian Alliegro

The first chess piece for Laurinaitis will likely be Wisconsin transfer Christian Alliegro. Once a three-star prospect out of Connecticut, Alliegro amassed 119 Tackles, 13 TFL, and 7 sacks in his two years as a starter with the Badgers. He ended up graded as the third-best linebacker transfer available according to 24/7Sports this past January, and the Buckeyes wasted no time in adding him to the mix.

At 6’4 and 245 pounds, Alliegro has plenty of size to compete at Ohio State. From both his tape and his numbers, it’s clear that he possesses the ability to be a ballhawk and diagnose plays quickly, which is something that James Laurinaitis himself was elite in doing at both the college and NFL levels. This, coupled with exceptional athleticism for his size, makes it easy to understand why DC Matt Patricia and Laurinaitis were eager to get him to Columbus.

Payton Pierce

For the rest of James’s option at Linebacker, the experience is lacking. The incoming Junior and former four-star from Lucas, Texas, Payton Pierce, was able to see the field in all 14 games for the Buckeyes last season, where he accumulated 43 tackles.

However, with the aforementioned Styles and Reese taking a bulk of the snaps, Laurinaitis is looking for Pierce to step into a bigger and more consistent role heading into the fall. During spring practice, James discussed what makes Payton stand out:

“You saw it with Payton when you recruited him. You knew what he was about. Tough. Instinctual. The thing that’s so great about Payton is he’s so competitive, and he’s a perfectionist… which you should be as a Mike [Linebacker]… and I was comfortable playing him last year in big moments.”

Riley Pettijohn

As for Riley Pettijohn, a former five-star recruit and incoming true Sophomore, evaluation of readiness will be a bit trickier. Riley missed the spring with an undisclosed injury. When asked about how Laurinaitis planned to keep Pettijohn ready, he said,

“Honestly, just find out if he’s mentally locked in. Ask him questions in meetings. When we do formations pre-practice, have him out there when it’s non-contact. You gotta figure out whether he’s keeping up with the mental side of it. Riley’s got all the physical tools in the world.” Coach Laurinaitis is very insistent upon the importance of mental preparation for all of his guys.

TJ Alford

Another player he has spoken highly of is true Sophomore TJ Alford. Alford saw time in 11 games last season, although primarily on special teams. However, James sees ample potential with Alford: “TJ’s gotten so much better from last season…there’s been a maturity, I think TJ learned a lot about himself from last season. I expect to see a lot of football from TJ come this fall if everything keeps trending the way it’s gone.” Look for Alford to be someone who, with a strong fall camp, finds a big role in this defense.

Coach Laurinaitis is, of course, no stranger to the pressure and competition of Ohio State. He reminisced on his own playing days, saying that he used having immense talent come into the linebacker room “as motivation to become better.”

His comments in spring make clear that he wants to instill the same attitude today:

“The standard was to always get our room to the point where you feel a healthy pressure to perform, in the sense of ‘if I have a bad day or two, I could be passed up by the next guy’… You find out the mental toughness of your room and who can perform under pressure.” From doing so, James feels that he can get the best out of his room. Whether the rotation is “five/six deep, or two deep,” as he said, he oozes confidence in his guys.

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