Not much went according to Chase Young’s plans this season.
After spending most of his freshman season at Ohio State watching four future NFL defensive ends – Sam Hubbard, Nick Bosa, Tyquan Lewis and Jalyn Holmes – take the majority of the snaps, he stepped into a primary role alongside Bosa and Jonathon Cooper. Time on the sidelines learning from his predecessors was well spent, but the former five-star prospect felt ready for a larger responsibility on defense. He fell into a larger role than he anticipated, though.
Young’s nearly end-of-season stat line of 49 tackles, 13 1/2 tackles for loss and 8 1/2 sacks might not prove it, but his first season as a starter didn’t pass particularly smoothly.