elite recruit, injury-hit Buckeye linebacker with real edge
In the 2004 season, Mike D’Andrea flashed why Ohio State landed a top-rated linebacker recruit: big-frame athleticism, downhill violence, and enough playmaking to log 13 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack in limited action. The catch? Knee injuries repeatedly derailed his ceiling, and his career never matched the five-star hype. He still stands out for intensity, toughness, and the kind of high-upside physical profile coaches love, but the durability red flag is impossible to ignore. If you want boom-or-bust linebacker traits, he’s intriguing; if you need reliability, that’s the question mark.
