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Ohio State just added another top flight linebacker, as class of 2018 ILB Teradja Mitchell signed his LOI today, and is now a Buckeye.
VA➡️OH #BuckeyeNation you are going to love this guy! Welcome to #LBU, @WhosThatNumber7!#GoBucks #Supreme18 #NSD18 pic.twitter.com/udmRtYdE0K
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 20, 2017
Mitchell is the 2nd Virginian in Ohio State’s 2018 class —joining fellow LB K’Vaughan Pope— and is rated as the No. 2 ILB prospect nationally, and 39th overall prospect in this year’s class by the 247Sports Composite. The 6-2, 232 pound Mitchell committed to the Buckeyes in June, and held offers from LSU, Alabama, Auburn, and others.
Here’s what Ohio State is getting in the talented Virginian:
Scouting Report
Mitchell is the prototypical, hard-hitting inside linebacker who excels against the run. On tape, Mitchell resembles a previous five-star inside linebacker recruit under Urban Meyer: Raekwon McMillan. Like McMillan, Mitchell possesses great instincts in the run game, and hits like a Mack Truck. He has the football IQ to recognize the play, fight through the rubbish and meet the ball carrier right away. When he meets the ball carrier, he wraps up and drives through the body. Mitchell is an extremely violent tackler who makes his presence felt in the run game.
Like McMillan coming out of high school, Mitchell does not have a ton of experience in the passing game, which makes it look like he’s vulnerable in that area. In regards to Raekwon, contrary to popular belief, the former Buckeye excelled on all three downs and the superb Ohio State defensive coaching staff put him in the right place to succeed. The passing game will be a knock on Mitchell when he arrives on campus, but as an underclassmen, Greg Schiano will utilize his plus-instincts to blitz and rush the passer. Right now it’s tough to see how he would matchup one-on-one with an elite college running back or tight end, but he does possess sideline-to-sideline speed which would indicate an ability to cover at this level. If there was an area to keep an eye on during Mitchell’s senior year, it would be his pass coverage against backs and tight ends.