A look back at the 2013 recruiting class: S/LB Hybrids

Darron Lee and Christopher Worley are both in-state, talented players but it is unknown where defensive coordinator Luke Fickell will play them. Both are athletic, heavy hitters that played safety (Lee) and outside linebacker (Worley) in high school and have the attributes to play either position for the Buckeyes.

Darron Lee

Darron Lee

Darron Lee played high school football in New Albany, Ohio and dreamed of becoming a Buckeye. He was an under the radar recruit with offers from some mid-level BCS schools (Arizona St., Boston College, Kentucky, Toledo, etc.) but no powerhouses. Lee attended the Ohio State summer camp and actually outplayed Vonn Bell throughout the camp. After impressing the coaching staff, he earned a scholarship offer and the rest is history. Lee is a 6’2″ 200 lb athlete who could see time at either safety or outside linebacker. Personally, I see him as more of a strong safety type because of his mixture of sure tackling, closing speed and ball hawking ability. If he is not at a strong safety, he could line up at Meyer’s STAR position behind Christian Bryant. He is really impressive on tape and although I do not think we will be seeing him much this year on defense due to returning secondary talent, he may work his way onto special teams. Lee could be one of the steals of this class as he possesses excellent ball kills that are hard to find at any level. He also has great size and played well in run support which is why some say he could play linebacker for Coach Fickell. Rivals, ESPN, and 247 all had Lee as a three star recruit, while Scout had him ranked as a four star recruit.

Christopher Worley

worley

Christopher Worley is a 6’3″ 190 lb outside linebacker who played at the Ohio State football factory, Glenville. I see him in the same situation as Lee but with more of a lean to outside linebacker than safety. Worley punishes the ball carrier on almost every hit he delivers and is a great open field tackler. I project him as an outside linebacker especially with more voids to fill at that position but Coach Fickell could put him at strong safety/ STAR as he covered a lot of running backs and slot receivers at Glenville. He constantly lined up in the slot and made most of his plays outside of the tackle box, either blowing up screens or runs to the outside. Worley could play close to the line of scrimmage for run support and covered the flats pretty well which is why he will most likely play outside linebacker. Like Lee, Worley has the size and ability to play special teams right away and Coach Fickell will ultimately decide where to play him on defense as he gets older. Rivals, ESPN and Scout all ranked Worley as a three star recruit, while 247 ranked him as a four star outside linebacker.

Conclusion

Darron Lee and Christopher Worley could line up at various positions in their Buckeye tenure and their versatility sets them apart from others. They were both under the radar recruits that caught Meyer’s eye and he felt that they both deserved offers. They played good competition in high school and I think Meyer came across two gems that should have had more scholarship offers, especially Lee. Both could either redshirt or play on special teams and neither option would surprise me. The more big, versatile athletes that Coach Fickell has to plug into his defense, the better. They are both quality football players and both will eventually be making plays at either strong safety, STAR or outside linebacker for the Buckeyes.

 

Comments

  1. These 2 guys are an anomaly to me not sure how well either will be but they have a chance to be great but also flops…. Here is hoping they are the first.

  2. These guys seem like they could be sleepers. Both look great on tape.

    These posts are giving me the chills. The talent level coming is bananas.

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