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Finebaum: Ohio State not winning national title this year a "colossal failure" (2:57)
Paul Finebaum and Cam Newton explain why they are more disappointed in Ohio State than Alabama this season. (2:57)
Jake TrotterJan 8, 2026, 05:00 PM ET
- Jake Trotter is a senior writer at ESPN. Trotter covers college football. He also writes about other college sports, including men's and women's basketball. Trotter resides in the Cleveland area with his wife and three kids and is a fan of his hometown Oklahoma City Thunder. He covered the Cleveland Browns and NFL for ESPN for five years, moving back to college football in 2024. Previously, Trotter worked for the Middletown (Ohio) Journal, Austin American-Statesman and Oklahoman newspapers before joining ESPN in 2011. He's a 2004 graduate of Washington and Lee University. You can reach out to Trotter at [email protected] and follow him on X at @Jake_Trotter.
Ohio State star linebacker Arvell Reese is leaving school early and declaring for the NFL draft, he announced on social media Thursday.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Reese as the No. 4 overall prospect in the draft and his top off-ball linebacker.
"I want to thank all of Buckeye Nation," Reese wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. "It was truly an honor to suit up in the scarlet and grey."
Reese is the third projected top 10 pick from Ohio State to declare for the draft this week, joining wide receiver Carnell Tate and safety Caleb Downs.
Reese was one of college football's breakout stars this season, tallying 69 tackles and 6.5 sacks for an Ohio State defense that ranked No. 1 nationally allowing just 9.3 points per game.
He was a consensus All-American, the Big Ten's Linebacker of the Year and a finalist for the Butkus Award.
