Arvell Reese Named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week After Stuffing UCLA
By Zachary Anderson on November 16, 2025
Arvell Reese has played himself into Top 5 overall consideration with his play.
Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese was named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Week on Saturday night after a do-everything performance in the Buckeyes’ 40-17 win over UCLA at Ohio Stadium. Reese played 83 snaps and finished with eight tackles, two tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a forced fumble in a game that demanded Ohio State’s defense stay on the field and stay disciplined against a Bruins offense that moved the ball far better than its record suggested.
The award is an odd fit for a player who spent the afternoon flying downhill and erasing space in coverage, but the conference honor still captures what Reese was for Ohio State in Week 12: a steady engine in the middle of the field, constantly showing up in the moments where UCLA threatened to make the game uncomfortable.
The Bruins found early rhythm behind quarterback Nico Iamaleava and a quick-tempo approach, and while Ohio State’s defense created turnovers at the start and again in the second quarter, UCLA still generated first downs and sustained possessions. Reese’s impact showed up in the responses, driving backs backward on contact, closing windows on shallow routes and making sure completions didn’t become explosives.
Reese’s forced fumble was emblematic of the way Ohio State ultimately separated. As UCLA tried to salvage momentum in the second half, Reese met running back Jaivian Thomas in the heart of the defense, helping create the kind of collision that makes the ball feel loose even before it hits the turf.
His pass breakups also mattered in a game where Iamaleava attempted 56 passes and kept trying to test the Buckeyes between the numbers. Reese answered repeatedly, getting hands on the football and forcing UCLA to earn everything.
After the game, Reese spoke like a player still focused on the standard rather than the recognition, unaware an award would be attached to his stat line.
“We left some stuff out there, for sure,” Reese said. “But the biggest thing was finishing. When they started moving it, we had to settle in, communicate, and just keep playing our style. If we do that, eventually it breaks our way.” Reese added, “That’s what we talk about, effort to the ball, strain on every snap. The plays come when you’re doing the little things right.”
For a Buckeye defense that continues to define Ohio State’s unbeaten season, Reese’s night against UCLA looked like the blueprint: heavy workload, high leverage, and production that tilted the game when it mattered most.