• 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!

LB Etienne Sabino (official thread)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
Ohio State football: Linebacker Sabino didn?t have stellar season he expected
By Bill Rabinowitz
The Columbus Dispatch Saturday December 31, 2011

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ? During preseason camp, Ohio State linebacker Etienne Sabino described himself as ?starving? to make an impact in 2011 after a voluntary redshirt season a year ago.

Consider him only partly sated.

Sabino started this season, but it wasn?t the breakthrough year the junior envisioned. His performances reflected many on a defense in which results didn?t always match potential. Now he and his teammates have one last chance, in the Gator Bowl against Florida on Monday, to end the season on a good note.

?I feel like it could be a lot better, personally,? Sabino said of his play this year. ?I?m not too thrilled with it, but I plan on working hard and getting a lot better.?

He said he needs to improve his tackling, get better at reading his keys and take better pursuit angles.

His season did have its positives. Sabino has been credited with 35 solo tackles, second-most on the team. He had 4? tackles for losses and two sacks.

?I think I made plays,? he said. ?Obviously, I wanted to make more plays. I think I missed too many tackles.?

Defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said that Sabino?s play suffered in part because circumstances caused him to shift positions repeatedly. The Buckeyes? plan entering the season was to have Nathan Williams play strongside linebacker in the base defense and defensive end in passing situations.

But when Williams was lost for the season in the opener to a knee injury, Sabino was moved from middle linebacker to strongside. Complicating matters was a broken hand Sabino suffered in a preseason scrimmage. Though he played through it, it had to have an effect.

?We asked a lot of Etienne,? Heacock said. ?One thing about Etienne: You?re going to get his best effort.?

cont...
Click to expand...

http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2011/12/31/room-for-improvement.html
 
Upvote 0
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIuTiv82sFA"]Etienne Sabino - Ohio State Football - March 31, 2012 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9_cJHVFxNo"]Etienne Sabino on OSU start of spring football - YouTube[/ame]
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
Buckeyes' Sabino knows his time is now
June, 7, 2012
By Adam Rittenberg | ESPN.com

Everyone knows Terrelle Pryor headlined Ohio State's nationally acclaimed recruiting class in 2008.

But who can name the Buckeye's No. 2 rated player in the class, according to ESPN Recruiting? Hint 1: It wasn't Mike Adams, Mike Brewster, J.B. Shugarts or DeVier Posey. Hint 2: He's still in Columbus.

It might surprise some to know Etienne Sabino came to Ohio State with as much hype as the others, besides Pryor. ESPN Recruiting ranked him as the nation's top inside linebacker and No. 18 player overall. Sabino, who had an excellent size-speed combo coming out of Miami's Dr. Krop High School, received similar accolades from other recruiting services.

Yet unlike Pryor, Brewster and the others, Sabino didn't make an impact right away. He played mostly special teams as a freshman, recording six tackles. He had virtually the same results as a reserve in 2009 (13 games played, six tackles made).

Pegged as a starter in the spring of 2010, Sabino had high hopes entering fall camp. Linebackers coach Luke Fickell said of Sabino that spring, "He's the guy. ... This has been his best spring so far." But a great spring didn't translate into fall camp, as Andrew Sweat beat out Sabino for the third starting linebacker spot alongside Ross Homan and Brian Rolle. Sweat had been another decorated recruit in 2008, although not as heralded as Sabino.

cont...
Click to expand...

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/51274/buckeyes-sabino-knows-his-time-is-now
 
Upvote 0
Top-five prospects for the 2013 NFL Draft

5. OLB Etienne Sabino (6-3, 240)
Based off his performance as an underclassman, Sabino doesn't belong on this list. But with his raw athletic tools and upside, he will be a player that the NFL will value and keep under a microscope in 2012. Sabino arrived in Columbus as one of the highest recruits in the country, but with only five starts entering his senior season, his Buckeyes career has been mostly a disappointment. He was a five-star linebacker out of Miami and surprised many when he chose Ohio State over Southern Cal, Miami and Meyer's Gators. Sabino played in all 26 games as a freshman and sophomore, but mostly on special teams as he struggled to break into the starting lineup. He found himself on the bench again in 2010 so he took a healthy redshirt, giving him time to catch up mentally while saving a year of eligibility. Sabino played in every game last season as a junior (five starts), finishing fifth on the team with 62 tackles and 6? tackles for loss. He has an athletic frame and flies all over the field with excellent range and the chase skills to catch the ballcarrier from behind. Sabino doesn't break down information quick enough and is routinely forced to play a step behind, lacking a great feel in coverage. He won't miss many tackles, but needs to improve his angles and is too often caught off balance, lacking the lateral burst to quickly change directions. Sabino is an athletic blitzer and is at his best downhill, working hard to shed blocks with adequate strength and length. Despite a limited r?sum?, he is set to start at strongside linebacker in 2012 as a senior and has one last season to prove to scouts that he deserved the hype coming out of high school. Sabino is the type of player who lacks the instincts and consistency to start at the next level, but could be a late-round pick and core special teams player.
Click to expand...

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/rob-rang/19761424/2013-nfl-draft-ohio-state-preview
 
Upvote 0
Based off his performance as an underclassman, Sabino doesn't belong on this list. But with his raw athletic tools and upside, he will be a player that the NFL will value and keep under a microscope in 2012.
Click to expand...

Every time I read a quote like this I want to ask questions about our coaching of the past few years.

Look for Sabino to explode this season.
 
Upvote 0
Oh8ch;2198184; said:
Every time I read a quote like this I want to ask questions about our coaching of the past few years.

Look for Sabino to explode this season.
Click to expand...

I don't think that applies in this case since Fickell (with the possible exception of last season) has been the guy coaching Sabino before and after the coaching transition.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top