Six Ohio State Players Named To NFL Top 100 Players list

The NFL Top 100 players list is not yet finished, with the top 10 still to be revealed, but all six of Ohio State’s entries on the list have been announced.

The list, with is voted on by the players, is led by Alabama, who has seven alumni on the list. The Buckeyes are tied with LSU for second most with six.

The first Ohio State player mentioned was New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who ranked No. 86. He dropped 10 spots from last season after finishing with 62 tackles (52 solo), 11 passes defended and two interceptions.

Next up was another Saints player, this time wide receiver Michael Thomas at No. 72. Thomas dropped a whopping 67 spots after missing most of last season due to injury. Still, in seven games, Thomas finished with 40 catches for 438 yards and a score. This came a season after hauling in an NFL-record 149 catches for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns.

After just one season, Washington Football Team defensive end Chase Young enters the Top 100 at No. 61. Young was dominant as a rookie, finishing with 44 tackles, 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, one of which he took back for a touchdown. He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year for his efforts.

The next spot on the list is another former Buckeye, with Los Angeles Chargers center Corey Linsley debuting at No. 60. Linsley has spent his first seven seasons in the league with the Green Bay Packers and was named a First-Team All Pro for the first time this past season.

For the fifth time, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward finds his way onto the list, moving up 27 spots to No. 57. At age 31, the vet is still making an impact, tallying 54 tackles (30 solo), four sacks and three forced fumbles in 2020.

The highest-ranked former Buckeye is Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, who moved up two spots to No. 32. Bosa played in 12 games last season, yet he still finished with 39 tackles (29 solo), 7.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. In his first year of a $135 million extension, Bosa proved it worth while.

Joey Bosa almost certainly would have been joined by his brother, Nick, who is on the San Francisco 49ers, but he was ineligible because he missed the 2020 season due to injury. The only other former Ohio State player to fall off the list was Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott struggled in 2020, carrying the ball 244 times for a career-low 979 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 52 passes for 338 yards and two scores.

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