Over the years, Columbus has seen many outstanding athletes emerge through the ranks of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Although they are best known for producing outstanding wide receivers, they have also had success at many other positions.
Notably, especially in recent years, Ohio State has excelled at producing defensive linemen. Heck, last month the Buckeyes selected all four of their starting frontmen in the NFL Draft.
in course, Chase Young, who was selected by the Washington Commanders with the second overall choice in the 2020 NFL Draft following a stellar career with the Buckeyes, is the most highly regarded defensive lineman to come out of Ohio State in modern times.
In a recent article, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic gave Young a lot of credit by placing him 16th out of the best 25 college football players since the turn of the century.
“According to Pro Football Focus, Young produced five of the top nine highest-graded games by a pass rusher in the FBS in 2019, including the top three,” Feldman stated. “He won the Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and keyed the nation’s No. 1 defence that allowed fewer than 260 yards per game, and he finished fourth in the Heisman race despite missing two games.”
During his final two seasons in Columbus, Young amassed 27 sacks, including an incredible season in 2019 in which he recorded 16.5 sacks, 46 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and six forced fumbles.
Professionally, he hasn’t been quite as assertive. The 26-year-old, who is presently playing for his third NFL squad since joining the league, has been hindered by injuries. The New Orleans Saints recently gave Young a three-year, $51 million contract because he is still a quality player.
