To the surprise of few, Ohio State star Joey Bosa will forgo his senior season and enter the 2016 NFL draft.
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyertold reporters of Bosa's decision during a press conference prior to the Fiesta Bowl.
Bosa had an impressive freshman season, picking up 7.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss, and he became a standout in his sophomore year after recording 21.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks, subsequently earning unanimous All-American honors.
Bleacher Report's Matt Miller also noted Bosa's ability to rattle opposing quarterbacks based on his film study:
Bosa's numbers dropped off in 2015, but that was in large part due to opposing teams doing everything in their power to mitigate his impact, as noted by CBSSports.com's Tom Fornelli:
"It obviously means it's opening up opportunities for other players," said Bosa in November of facing multiple blockers at once, per Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com. "So as long as they're getting in and they're doing well, it's all good."
When he wasn't double- or triple-teamed, Bosa tended to wreak havoc in the pocket, whether it was bringing down the quarterback or doing enough to rush the throw, as seen here:
The totality of Bosa's skill set stands out. He's exceptionally strong, agile for a player of his size (6'6", 275 lbs) and refined from a technique perspective. Bosa isn't a physical freak of nature like JadeveonClowney, but he's arguably a more polished prospect than the 2014 No. 1 pick.
Not only is Bosa universally considered the best pass-rusher in this year's draft class, some list him as the No. 1 player overall. In his November midseason rankings, Miller listed the junior defensive end third overall behind Jared Goff and Jaylon Smith. Miller also drew parallels between Bosa and Greg Hardy in terms of football attributes.
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah gave two more comparisons:
In December 2014, NFL.com's Chase Goodbread spoke to an AFC college scouting director, who set somewhat of a ceiling for Bosa's potential:
J.J. [Watt] is so big and athletic, and Bosa will never be 290 pounds or that long But Bosa has speed-to-power rush ability and can handle all blockers with finesse and power. He matches up with all. He's a good effort player with talent—tough matchup. And he plays his best when the game is on the line.
Bosa shouldn't have to wait long to hear his name called on draft night. Plenty of teams hovering around the top five picks are in need of a defensive end/edge-rusher, so Bosa will undoubtedly be on their collective radar.
Ohio State, meanwhile, is substituting one Bosa for another. Joey's brother, Nick, is set to arrive in Columbus as part of the 2016 recruiting class. According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Nick Bosa is the No. 1 strong-side defensive end in the country and the sixth-best player overall.
Few defensive stars have left the kind of footprint on Ohio State that Joey Bosa did. His brother will have quite a reputation to live up to when he puts on the Buckeyes uniform.
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