Unexpected Powerhouse: Freshman Linebacker Joins Brotherhood Amid Rising Tensions

Even though the Ohio State Buckeyes won’t be hitting the gridiron this weekend, make no mistake—the hustle never pauses in Columbus. These Scarlet and Gray warriors are already locked in, eyes on the prize, as they gear up for a big showdown out west against the Washington Huskies, fresh faces in the Big Ten landscape. It’s not just the newcomers like Bo Jackson, Devin Sanchez, and Riley Pettijohn turning heads; a rising star linebacker, Tarvos “TJ” Alford, has just shed his black stripe, officially joining the Brotherhood and ready to make his mark. Coming from Florida, packed with talent, Alford was a four-star gem and the 31st best linebacker nationally, choosing Ohio State over powerhouse programs like Florida, Florida State, and Miami. With a couple of tackles already under his belt this season and a linebacker group stacked with potential, the Buckeyes are shaping up to be a force that no opponent will want to underestimate anytime soon. LEARN MORE

The Ohio State football team will not be playing this Saturday, but that doesn’t mean that the men in Scarlet and Gray stop working. The team is busy preparing for its trip to the Pacific Northwest to take on one of the newest members of the Big Ten, the Washington Huskies.

While true freshmen Bo Jackson, Devin Sanchez, and Riley Pettijohn are already making a name for themselves, others are trying to break into the fold with the possibility of contributing as the season progresses. One of those names is linebacker Tarvos “TJ” Alford, who recently lost his black stripe and was officially welcomed to the Brotherhood.

Alford comes to the Buckeyes as a four-star recruit hailing from the talent-rich state of Florida. He was the No. 31-ranked linebacker in the nation and chose OSU over the likes of Florida, Florida State, Miami, Central Florida, and Tennessee.

Alford has appeared in two of the three games played this year, seeing time against Grambling State and Ohio University, recording three tackles in his young career. With fellow sophomore Payton Pierce and the aforementioned freshman Pettijohn, the linebacking group looks like it will be a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future.