Colin GayColumbus Dispatch
If it were up to linebacker Tarvos Alford, he’d never have to leave the football field.
The Florida native is a self-described three-down linebacker, one who can cover any assignment, one who can line up off the edge and lay a hit, one who can fill the gap between the guard and center. He calls himself “a complete package” for whatever defense he’s a part of.
Alford views himself as invaluable. And throughout his recruiting process, Alford said that was something Ohio State never let him forget.
“They feel like I’m a prototype linebacker for the new age,” Alford said.
Alford bought in by committing to Ohio State’s 2025 class as its second linebacker and its fifth top-100 defensive player joining five-star cornerbacks Devin Sanchez and Na’eem Offord, cornerback Blake Woodby and defensive lineman Zahir Mathis.
With one season left of football at Vero Beach (Florida) High School and a January early-enrollment arrival looming, Alford is preparing to meet the expectation he says linebackers coach James Laurinaitis and Ohio State see him: a future All-American.
“(Laurinaitis) would just always talk to me about how he wanted to be there for me when I planted my Buckeye tree,” Alford said.
Ohio State buys in on 2025 linebacker Tarvos Alford
It didn’t take long for Vero Beach football coach Lenny Jankowski to realize what he had in Alford, who transferred to the program from a smaller private school ahead of the 2023 season.
“You've got this kid that looks like a Greek god and runs like the wind,” Jankowski said. “How do you utilize him?”
For Jankowski, that is what separates Alford. His speed, athleticism and size, Jankowski said, make Alford an impact player anywhere he lines up, whether as a middle linebacker, a defensive end or a defensive back covering the running back, tight end or slot receiver.
“What he does is he makes everyone around him so much better because he can do all those things,” Jankowski said. “An offensive staff is saying… my goodness, we have to account for No. 0, and he’s not always in the same place every play.”
In his first season at Vero Beach, Alford made 114 tackles, 12 tackles-for-loss, four sacks and one interception, per 247Sports. Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Alford is the No. 63 player and the eighth-best linebacker in the country.
Alford said his athleticism is the aspect of his game he is most proud of and what has allowed him to be so valuable to a defense. It's the reason why programs such as Miami and Florida State made him a priority in the 2025 class.
That athleticism is why Alford said Ohio State sees him as the team’s future at weak-side linebacker, following in the footsteps of players like Ryan Shazier and Jerome Baker.
“They were great players,” Alford said. “They brought a different type of energy to the defense. And I feel like I can take that to another level and bring the Butkus Award back to Ohio State.
In Alford’s one season at Vero Beach, Jankowski said the linebacker’s growth has been “eye-opening” from the weight room to film room. And to Jankowski, that is the mentality Ohio State is getting.
“It’s not like he’s a project. But he knows and understands that that’s the coolest thing about him,” Jankowski said. “He just wants to not just be great. But he wants to be the best.”
Tarvos Alford sells Ohio State 'brotherhood' on recruiting trail
With Ohio State, Alford sees that potential. And it’s potential he’s trying to sell as Ohio State builds its 2025 class.
From the Buckeyes’ offer in April, a multi-day trip to Columbus in June and a game-day visit for Ohio State’s win against Michigan State in November, Alford said he felt the Buckeyes “were on the verge of another huge come-up.”
And from the school’s academics to its alumni base, Alford said he found a home in Ohio State, one he said he is now pitching to players such as four-star linebacker Riley Pettijohn, five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. and four-star running back Jordon Davison.
“It’s a brotherhood,” Alford said. “It’s something different. You just don’t get that feeling nowhere else. Every day, you’re going to be going against the best, so you’re going to become the best.”
Jankowski said Alford will play a prominent role in creating the brotherhood atmosphere.
“He’s a guy that you want on your team,” Jankowski said. “He wants to be there when the game’s on the line. You want him there when the game’s on the line. You want him in your locker room, you want him leading your weight room. You want him on the first line during springs, you know, winning every sprint and finishing every drill. He’s just that guy.”
In Alford, Jankowski sees “a guy” that is so much better than his rankings show. In Alford, Jankowski sees “a guy” that will not stop until he’s at the top.
“He doesn’t just want to be the best top-100 players,” Jankowski said. “He wants to be the best. He wants to prove that he’s the best.”
