Ohio State’s Arvell Reese has become a standout prospect in this year’s LB class. After declaring for the draft in January, he’s been consistently projected to go anywhere from the top 2 to the top 7. With his 6’4″ build, 243-pound frame, and earning Consensus All-American honors in his first year as a starter, any team could target him.
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Most mock drafts have Arvell selected by the New York Jets at 2 or the Washington Commanders at 7. It’s also being projected that he could be a proper fit for Robert Saleh’s rebuild in Tennessee, the team that got the fourth overall pick.
The 20-year-old LB, who will be 21 in August, has a bright future ahead and a career that could etch his name in the annals of history. So, we decided to dive a little deeper into the prospect’s parents, who were surely the building blocks in this journey.
Arvell’s mother is Maeko Walker, who has admittedly been the source of the future NFL star’s resilience. Unfortunately, Maeko has suffered serious health complications since Arvell’s 8th grade, with the family even preparing for the possibility of losing her.
Maeko then spent months in the hospital, going under the knife a few times and needing physical therapy to regain her strength. But she never left her son’s side, even attending his games at Ohio State Buckeyes in a wheelchair. Her showing up to these games is nothing new, though, as she used to carry a literal megaphone to Arvell’s youth football camps to cheer him on, per the Columbus Dispatch.
Arvell’s father is named Alex Reese, about whom there isn’t a lot of public information available. But what we could gather is that he’s always urged Arvell and his siblings to take up football from a young age.
Alex reportedly spent an extended period of time in prison, which led to Arvell living with other family members. After getting released, Alex helped drive the future NFL star to practices, kept up with his schoolwork, and provided guidance and emotional support.
Several reports suggest that both Alex and Maeko were involved in the linebacker choosing Ohio State as his landing spot. The coaching staff moved them quite a bit, leading them to give Arvell the blessing to become a Buckeye. After all, the star LB was a highly sought-after prospect in 2022. He had received offers from Alabama Crimson Tide, Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions, USC Trojans, and Iowa Hawkeyes.
BOOM!! Ohio State Lands 2023 4 ⭐️ LB Arvelle Reese!! This class continues to get even better! 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/JC4bK7MzAc
— THE ™️ Barstool Ohio State (@BarstoolOSU) August 6, 2022
In the end, committing to Ohio State ended up being the best decision Arvell could make. He’s now dubbed as one of the best defenders of the 2026 draft class. The combination of his size, speed, and versatility is praised quite a bit, and he’s shown so far he can effectively rush the passer while also pursuing plays across the field.
Arvell had 6.5 sacks and 62 tackles in the 2025 season, causing 25 pressures from 112 snaps. He can disrupt an offense one out of four times when attacking a QB.
Arvell Reese is the future of what NFL LBs will look like in a few years. Big, long, versatile players that can line up almost anywhere in the Front 7 and hunt matchups.
Pros ✅
-Elite Athlete (6’4 243 proj 4.5 40)
-Physical
-Versatility (lined up in six different spots)… https://t.co/Njqv5mTNM7 pic.twitter.com/anJmC53JcE— Omari (@OmariiBrown) February 1, 2026
And not only his on-field stats, but Arvell has made a name for himself as someone who can be a sponge when needed, soaking up info from veteran players. He’s also mentally tough, which means that any team could target him, even the Jets at two. If the Raiders weren’t all set to pick a QB with their first overall, heck, Arvell could even go one.
