As Pete Werner says goodbye to Ohio State football, Buckeyes need more like him in 2021

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Pete Werner was originally surprised when Ohio State coaches wanted to move him to inside linebacker in 2020.

A two-year starter at Sam linebacker at that point, Werner thought he had done his job well on the outside. The Buckeyes’ staff agreed, and that was the point. They felt Werner needed to be on the field for every important snap of the 2021 season, which is exactly what happened.

Werner officially said farewell to Ohio State football Thursday, announcing he will enter the 2021 NFL Draft. Like all 2020 fall athletes, he could have utilized the extra season of eligibility the NCAA allowed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Werner heads to the NFL having left examples for what the Buckeyes need at two different positions in 2021.

Teradja Mitchell is one of three Class of 2018 linebackers who has long waited his turn for a primary role. Along the way he benefited from two excellent examples of what Ohio State will look for in a Will linebacker: Malik Harrison in 2018-19 and Werner last season.

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If you prorate Werner’s 2020 stats over a full 15-game season, you come up with around 101 tackles. Ohio State brought Werner on blitzes and needed him to drop back and pick up running backs in coverage, as well. Yet his main function was to simply be around the ball on every snap — one he fulfilled with enthusiasm.

Mitchell arrived as a top-50 national prospect but ran into a logjam of talent immediately in front of him at inside linebacker. He may bring untapped talent to the position and pick up where Harrison and Werner left off. He also appears ready to use his voice, which will be important in a linebacker unit that lost two team leaders in Werner and Tuf Borland.

Werner first made a name for himself in 2019 at outside linebacker thanks to his adaptability. He provided many of the core qualities a team might expect from a conventional linebacker. Yet his background as an occasional defensive back in high school helped him match up in coverage with tight ends or drop back as the single-high options when the Buckeyes made pre-snap adjustments.

While Baron Browning also played well at the Sam spot in 2020, his skill set was not as versatile — or more accurately, not versatile in the same way as Werner. The Buckeyes have a prospect on the roster who might perfectly slide into that 2019 Werner role: Kourt Williams. His promising freshman season was erased by a torn ACL in preseason workouts.

You can call it the Bullet or some other name if you want, but really, the name is less important than finding a player with the necessary skills to play the hybrid role. Williams was recruited with that specific job in mind.

Werner’s name may come up a lot when Ohio State coaches discuss what they hope the new starters bring to both Will and Sam in 2021 — and perhaps beyond. That’s what you call a legacy.

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