This, my friends, is the year of the linebacker.  It's also the year of the offensive tackle, but going from coast to coast, the number of NFL-caliber linebackers is incredible.  So having one top-tier LB among your starters just isn't enough.  No matter how great you are, to be considered for the best unit in the nation, there has to be high-end starters and depth to go with it.  A team like Virginia is always in the mix, with guys like Ahmad Brooks and Kai Parham.  Miami's stable of athletes is always at or near the top.  Iowa may have the best 1-2 punch at linebacker with Chad Greenway and Abdul Hodge.  All of this aside, when you have a day one NFL prospect on your bench, because he can't beat out any of the 3 day one NFL prospects on the field, you get the nod from me.  Buckeye fans, rejoice, because there is no doubt, you have the best LB unit in the country.
 
This group of future millionaires is lead by A.J.  Hawk.  At 6'1" and a biscuit under 240 lbs., with legit mid-4.4 speed, he's a disruptive force all over the field.  As sure a tackler in the country as there is, he's averaged over 90 stops and 8 tackles for loss, over his first 3 seasons.  This year, he should crush both those numbers.  Hawk’s speed, and ability to diagnose a play quickly, allows him to always be in the right place at the right time, which is almost always a bad thing for whoever has the football.  If there's a flaw to Hawk's game, it's that he operates with such intensity, he can have lapses, where he doesn't always make the play within the system.  This, like a perceived weakness in pass coverage is just nitpicking, and in a year with so many great linebackers, Hawk is right at the top.
 
If Anthony Schlegel played for 110 other D1 programs, he'd be the top linebacker on the team, but instead he's in the shadow of Hawk.  The only way to appreciate how good Schlegel is, is to watch him play.  After transferring from Air Force, and sitting a year, it was expected that he'd come in and provide depth in the middle behind Mike D'Andrea.  One knee injury later, and Schlegel is crushing people all over the field.  A player similar in style to Hawk, he’s very strong, athletic, and craves contact.  Fundamentally very sound, he’s perhaps a more complete linebacker over Hawk, while not quite as explosive.  There aren't 5 ILB prospects in the nation better than Schlegel.
 
Isn't that enough?  Not even close.  Over on the strong side is Bobby Carpenter, who for my money might be the best pro of all 3 Ohio State starters.  He's not as flashy as the other two, but he's a physical freak, and I could see him sliding inside on an NFL 3-4 defense and making lots of trips to Hawaii.  He's nearly as fast as Hawk, and 15 pounds heavier, and brings it like a hammer.  His strength is his ability to drop into coverage, where he is the best of the unit, which is remarkable for his size (6’3” and 255 lbs.).  Carpenter essentially developed over the course of last the season, and this year he promises to get even better.
 
What D1 coach wouldn't be happy with that starting lineup?  Yeah, none, but it doesn't stop there for the Buckeyes.  D'Andrea, the senior who was slated to start at MLB last season, before going down early with an ACL injury, is back, and is without a doubt, the best backup linebacker in the country.  I suspect the Buckeyes will make sure to find ways to get him on the field, because he's an incredible playmaker as well.  D'Andrea is another big linebacker (250 lbs.), but with great speed and instincts as well, and like the other guys I've mentioned, hits like a truck.
 
The future for the Buckeye linebackers looks bright as well, even with all these seniors.  Curtis Terry (6’ 2”/220 lbs., So.), Brandon Smith (6’3”/240 lbs., R-Fr.), and Marcus Freeman (6’2”/230 lbs., So.) are all waiting in the wings to take those starting spots next year.  Freeman in particular would probably start for the majority of teams in the Top 25 right now, and should get some reps early in the season, in preparation for him becoming the centerpiece of that unit next year.