COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cody Simon wants it to be clear he doesn’t have insider information.
While speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday, he was not looking to break news.
Simon was simply giving a prediction, and he made sure to emphasize that. But his prediction matters more than most.
So when he shared who he believes should take his job of wearing the Block ‘O’ for the Buckeyes next season, people listened.
“If I were to choose, I’d say Sonny Styles,” Simon said.
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While his words carry weight, the prediction isn’t much of a hot take.
Styles is one of three returning starters on defense, and he’s a veteran on a roster going through major change.
He’s the presumptive favorite to be a captain donning the symbolic jersey, but now he has an endorsement proving why.
Simon wasn’t the most talented player on Ohio State’s 2024 roster. His consensus mock draft projection of a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, while players such as Jack Sawyer and Tyleik Williams could go in the first round, backs that up.
The Block ‘O’ assignment is about more than on-field production, though Simon was an All-Big Ten caliber linebacker with 112 tackles and seven sacks in 2024.
The jersey with no numerical value holds cultural significance, making Styles’ experience with (and understanding of) the program important.
“He’s put the work in,” Simon said. “He’s done everything you need to do. He’s going to be a leader for that team next year. I hope they look to him for guidance.”
Amid the Styles hype, there’s another player in the linebackers room ready to help replace Simon.
Styles will fill the void from a leadership perspective, but he’ll be at Will linebacker. Taking over for Simon at Mike linebacker will likely be Arvell Reese – a young, promising player complementing Styles’ veteran presence.
Reese is entering his third year with the program.
After minimal contribution in 2023, he collected 43 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, across 309 defensive snaps last season.
“He’s a physical specimen,” Simon said. “You guys will see that next year. I mean, he can close space like nobody I’ve ever seen before.”
