Eric Boggs
Ohio State’s proud tradition of excellence gained another permanent chapter as former Buckeye linebacker and current Ohio State linebackers coach James Laurinaitis was officially selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. His election makes him the 29th former Buckeye to earn college football’s highest individual honor and the fourth Ohio State linebacker to join the Hall, standing alongside legends Randy Gradishar, Chris Spielman, and Tom Cousineau.
For Buckeye fans, this recognition feels both inevitable and deeply satisfying. Laurinaitis, affectionately known as the “Little Animal” after his famous father Joe “Road Warrior Animal” Laurinaitis, embodied everything Ohio State football represents from 2005 through 2008: toughness, leadership, relentless preparation, and championship expectations. Over those four seasons in Scarlet and Gray, he compiled 375 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, nine interceptions, and four forced fumbles, becoming one of only eight players in Ohio State history to earn first-team All-American honors three times.
His individual accolades read like a museum exhibit. Laurinaitis remains the only two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2007 and 2008). He captured the Bronko Nagurski Trophy in 2006 as the nation’s top defensive player, the Butkus Award in 2007 as college football’s premier linebacker, and the Lott IMPACT Trophy in 2008 for his performance and character. Twice named team captain, he led the Buckeyes through one of the most dominant stretches in program history: four straight Big Ten championships, a perfect 4–0 record against Michigan, and two national championship game appearances.
Selected in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams, Laurinaitis translated that dominance seamlessly to the professional level. Across eight NFL seasons, he totaled 871 tackles, 49 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, 10 interceptions, 35 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and nine fumble recoveries, earning widespread respect as one of the league’s most consistent and intelligent linebackers.
Yet perhaps what makes this moment resonate most deeply in Columbus is that Laurinaitis is not just part of Ohio State’s past—he is very much part of its present and future. After a coaching stint at Notre Dame alongside Marcus Freeman, he returned home in 2023, first as a graduate assistant and now in his third season as Ohio State’s linebackers coach, pouring his championship knowledge into the next generation of Buckeyes.
Laurinaitis will be officially inducted on December 8 at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas, marking the third straight year an Ohio State great has entered the College Football Hall of Fame, following Chris Ward (2024) and Urban Meyer (2025). For a program that consistently produces elite players and leaders, his induction is another powerful reminder of why Ohio State remains one of the sport’s true standard-bearers.
For Buckeye Nation, James Laurinaitis is more than a stat line or a trophy case. He is the embodiment of what it means to wear the Scarlet and Gray—and now, his legacy is forever enshrined among college football’s immortals.
