• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

How Does Ryan Shazier Compare to Other Great tOSU LB's?

Jump to latest Follow Reply

Where Does Ryan Shazier Rank Compared to Other Great tOSU LB's?

  • 1st

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 2nd

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 3rd

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 4th

    Votes: 1 2.2%

  • 5th

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 6th

    Votes: 2 4.3%

  • 7th

    Votes: 6 13.0%

  • 8th

    Votes: 5 10.9%

  • 9th

    Votes: 6 13.0%

  • 10th

    Votes: 6 13.0%

  • 11th

    Votes: 6 13.0%

  • 12th

    Votes: 14 30.4%
  • Total voters
    46
Sort by date Sort by votes
LordJeffBuck

LordJeffBuck

Illuminatus Emeritus
Staff member
BP Recruiting Team
Here's the list in alphabetical order, all of whom were All Americans:

01. Tom Cousineau: AA in 1977-78
02. Na'il Diggs: AA in 1999
03. Randy Gradishar: AA in 1972-73
04. A.J. Hawk: AA in 2004-05; Lombardi in 2005
05. Pepper Johnson: AA in 1985
06. Andy Katzenmoyer: AA in 1997, Butkus in 1997
07. James Laurinaitis: AA in 2006-07-08; Butkus in 2007
08. Marcus Marek: AA in 1982; career leader in tackles
09. Ryan Shazier: AA in 2013
10. Chris Spielman: AA in 1986-87; Lombardi in 1987
11. Steve Tovar: AA in 1991-92
12. Matt Wilhelm: AA in 2002
 
He had the heart and speed to match anyone on that list.

Unfortunately he did not have the football instincts or size of anyone on that list.

#12

To me has was more in the class of a Lorenzo Styles or Craig Powell than in the class of guys in this list.
 
Upvote 0
I had him at #7 on that list. Of course I am younger and didn't see some of those LBs play (which probably means my list doesn't mean much) but I would go with:

1. A.J. Hawk
2. Andy Katzenmoyer
3. Chris Spielman
4. Steve Tovar
5. Tom Cousineau
6. James Laurinaitis
7. Ryan Shazier
8. Marcus Marek
9. Randy Gradishar
10. Matt Wilhelm
11. Nail Diggs
12. Pepper Johnson

- Shazier was really spectacular this year and had little-to-no help out there. He was about 10 lbs. away from breaking the top 5 (didn't finish on some tackles). Still had an outstanding career here though.
 
Upvote 0
As far as a pure instincts as a linebacker Shazier to me was not all that great but he did have a nose for tackling people. The great thing about the great LB's is that they are much more then pass rushers and run stoppers. I remember Hawk would be able to cover most tight ends that would come his way. And size was an issue for Laurinaitis as well at least that is what NFL scouts said and yet he is a great NFL LB. Shazier is only about 9 on my list
 
Upvote 0
RB07OSU said:
I had him at #7 on that list. Of course I am younger and didn't see some of those LBs play
Click to expand...
Absolutely a f(x) of only being 26... cuz Marek had like 8000 tackles.. Gradishar would have been first team all-world and Pepper Johnson would disintegrate bronze statues (there's a reason he is LB coach for the Patriots since 2000) .. just sayin
 
Upvote 0
NJ-Buckeye said:
Absolutely a f(x) of only being 26... cuz Marek had like 8000 tackles.. Gradishar would have been first team all-world and Pepper Johnson would disintegrate bronze statues (there's a reason he is LB coach for the Patriots since 2000) .. just sayin
Click to expand...

Exactly, it is pretty tough for me to really say with those other guys, as I have only seen them in select replay games and looking at their stat sheets.
 
Upvote 0
RB07OSU said:
I had him at #7 on that list. Of course I am younger and didn't see some of those LBs play (which probably means my list doesn't mean much) but I would go with:

1. A.J. Hawk
2. Andy Katzenmoyer
3. Chris Spielman
4. Steve Tovar
5. Tom Cousineau
6. James Laurinaitis
7. Ryan Shazier
8. Marcus Marek
9. Randy Gradishar
10. Matt Wilhelm
11. Nail Diggs
12. Pepper Johnson

- Shazier was really spectacular this year and had little-to-no help out there. He was about 10 lbs. away from breaking the top 5 (didn't finish on some tackles). Still had an outstanding career here though.
Click to expand...

You of course gave the disclaimer about not seeing a lot of these guys play so I wasn't going to say anything but....

I just can't let this list go without saying a couple of things;

-Hawk may have been the best of your lifetime but he was in no way shape or form the best LB in OSU history. Not even close.
-Randy Gradishar should be in the NFL HOF, he's way too low
-Ryan Shazier above Marek, Gradishar and Pepper Johnson is just tough to even look at. No offense, I know it's just opinions but my opinion is that this is like putting Philly Brown over Chris Carter. It's just way off base.

I'll add in his defense that I think Shazier is a big Star/rolled up corner/safety and not a true LB so even more credit to his tenacity and guts for what he was able to accomplish. I'd share a fox hole with the kid any day of the week but I don't want him playing LB on my favorite football teams all-time list.
 
Upvote 0
Jaxbuck said:
You of course gave the disclaimer about not seeing a lot of these guys play so I wasn't going to say anything but....

I just can't let this list go without saying a couple of things;

-Hawk may have been the best of your lifetime but he was in no way shape or form the best LB in OSU history. Not even close.
-Randy Gradishar should be in the NFL HOF, he's way too low
-Ryan Shazier above Marek, Gradishar and Pepper Johnson is just tough to even look at. No offense, I know it's just opinions but my opinion is that this is like putting Philly Brown over Chris Carter. It's just way off base.

I'll add in his defense that I think Shazier is a big Star/rolled up corner/safety and not a true LB so even more credit to his tenacity and guts for what he was able to accomplish. I'd share a fox hole with the kid any day of the week but I don't want him playing LB on my favorite football teams all-time list.
Click to expand...

For me, it's tough to even imagine how a LB could be any better than Hawk...not only was he the best LB at OSU I have seen in my lifetime, but the best LB I have seen in college football period. Plus I think the nature of the game makes it tougher for a LB to dominate at the level that LBs could in the 70s and 80s, or at least to get the # of tackles they did back then...the spread yields way less opportunities for LBs than the I-formation with a halfback dive every play.

As for the rest, I just have to take your word for it since I haven't seen them play. Definitely not disputing you, just can't really judge someone I never saw play. Which unfortunately does kind of make my list a bit moot :/ I can really only judge LBs from about 1996 and on.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top