A clear path to the NFL starts in Northeast Ohio, goes through Columbus, and ends at the shield.
One clear path to the NFL, unsurprisingly, goes right through the state of Ohio.
Ohio State's Arvell Reese is just a few short weeks away from hearing his name called on night one of the NFL Draft at the end of April. When he hears his name, he will become the next in a long line of players who have played their high school career at Glenville High School in Cleveland and have gone to Ohio State before going to the NFL.
On that list that Reese is about to join, and former Ohio State legends. How is this list for size?
- Tedd Ginn Jr.
- Troy Smith
- Donte Whitner
- Cardale Jones
- Marshon Lattimore
This collection of names may not be the best players the NFL has ever seen, but a couple of them are on the short list of best Buckeyes to ever play inside Ohio Stadium.
Reese is the next name on that list, but he has the potential to be one of the best to have done it from Glenville High School.
Reese is likely going to be the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, but if he isn't, he will be a top-5 selection. Reese has a very, very unique ability to be elite at both the off-ball linebacker position while also rushing the quarterback better than nearly everyone.
Reese is one of the best stories in all of college football. He came into the 2025 season as an unknown player and is leaving it as the potential No. 2 pick. He showed that he is a very big problem when it comes to rushing the passer. When his hand is in the dirt, he has speed and power that come naturally.
What he doesn't quite have right now is a lot of reps under his belt. He is still very raw in terms of his pass-rushing skills, and he will only get better at it as time goes on.
He finished the 2025 season with 69 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks on the year. Was it enough to be a top-5 pick? That is very likely.
What is guaranteed is that he will be a first-round pick.
Regardless of where he goes, he is going to etch his name as the next Glenville TarBlooder to go from Cleveland to Ohio State and now to the NFL.
If Reese stays on this trajectory, he will be the best one to ever do it.
Buckeye Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Ohio State Buckeyes. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.