Ohio State's linebackers might be getting coached by a Hall of Famer soon.
Current Buckeye linebackers coach and team linebacker legend James Laurinaitis is one of 79 players nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame class of 2026. It's his seventh consecutive year on the ballot.
Laurinaitis makes a great case for induction as one of the greatest linebackers in not just Ohio State history but college football history. A three-time All-American, Laurinaitis has one of the loaded trophy cases possible for a collegiate defender. He won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the best defensive player in college football in 2006, the Dick Butkus Award as the nation's best linebacker in 2007 and the Ronnie Lott IMPACT Trophy for excellence on and off the field as a defensive player in 2008.