ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Will Tuf be even tuffer (i.e. tougher) in 2020?
A NEW TUF BORLAND?
Tuf Borland, it has long felt safe to say, is a known commodity. He enters his fifth season as a Buckeye and third year as a team captain once again slated to start at middle linebacker. One of the team’s most experienced players, Borland has started 34 games and twice been listed as an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection. He’s the savvy veteran who can get the defense lined up correctly and plays physically against the run but doesn’t have overwhelming athleticism.
Co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, however, challenged the notion this week that everybody should know what to expect from Borland as a redshirt senior.
“I've been very fortunate to have over the years been involved with some pretty good linebackers,” Mattison said. “The thing I've noticed about Tuf, this year he is a totally different linebacker in my opinion than last year. He's faster. He's quicker. He's stronger. And he is so much more vocal because, I believe, he is so confident.”
Does what Mattison said he’s seen of Borland translate into a completely unrecognizable player? That’s unlikely. But any additional athleticism would help the middle linebacker. We’ll get the first glimpse of this version of Borland when he lines up next to Pete Werner versus Nebraska on Saturday.
Along with some improved physical traits, Mattison – like most who deal with him on a day-to-day basis – also touted Borland’s leadership.
“He reminds me of the guys you had in the NFL where they're going to say, 'Hey, the ball is coming here. This is where we should be.' When things don't go exactly like you want, he comes off the field and he goes right to the coach and says, 'Coach, this is what's happening. What do you think we should do?' And you've got that kind of confidence where you have a true, true leader in him. I think the sky's the limit for him.”
A NEW TUF BORLAND?
Tuf Borland, it has long felt safe to say, is a known commodity. He enters his fifth season as a Buckeye and third year as a team captain once again slated to start at middle linebacker. One of the team’s most experienced players, Borland has started 34 games and twice been listed as an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection. He’s the savvy veteran who can get the defense lined up correctly and plays physically against the run but doesn’t have overwhelming athleticism.
Co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, however, challenged the notion this week that everybody should know what to expect from Borland as a redshirt senior.
“I've been very fortunate to have over the years been involved with some pretty good linebackers,” Mattison said. “The thing I've noticed about Tuf, this year he is a totally different linebacker in my opinion than last year. He's faster. He's quicker. He's stronger. And he is so much more vocal because, I believe, he is so confident.”
Does what Mattison said he’s seen of Borland translate into a completely unrecognizable player? That’s unlikely. But any additional athleticism would help the middle linebacker. We’ll get the first glimpse of this version of Borland when he lines up next to Pete Werner versus Nebraska on Saturday.
Along with some improved physical traits, Mattison – like most who deal with him on a day-to-day basis – also touted Borland’s leadership.
“He reminds me of the guys you had in the NFL where they're going to say, 'Hey, the ball is coming here. This is where we should be.' When things don't go exactly like you want, he comes off the field and he goes right to the coach and says, 'Coach, this is what's happening. What do you think we should do?' And you've got that kind of confidence where you have a true, true leader in him. I think the sky's the limit for him.”
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