Ohio State Football: Meet Dante Booker, the Buckeyes' Next Freak Linebacker

Since Urban Meyer took over at Ohio State in 2012, the Buckeyes defense has been fueled by an athletic freak at linebacker.

From 2012-13, Ryan Shazier brought his rare blend of speed and power to Ohio State's outside linebacker position, leading the team in tackles in both seasons. That speed is setting him apart with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, when he beat wide receiver Antonio Brown—widely considered one of the fastest wideouts in the league—in a foot race.

Over the last two seasons, it was quarterback-turned-linebacker Darron Lee who set the tone for Meyer's more aggressive defense. He was an AP Freshman All-American in 2014 and a second-team AP All-American a season ago. He declared for the NFL draft, ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at the combine and was selected by the New York Jets in the first round.

Now with two open spots alongside middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan, Dante Booker is ready to emerge as Ohio State's next freak linebacker.

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Entering his junior season with the Buckeyes, Booker has seen the field in a limited role over the last two years. He was Joshua Perry's primary backup in 2015 and registered 22 total tackles, but in seven games last year, most of his action was registered as a special teams ace on the coverage team.

The lone returning starter in Ohio State's linebacker corps thinks Booker could be even better than the All-Big Ten standout he's replacing.

"You can tell Josh [Perry] I said this: Dante [Booker] is a way better athlete," McMillan said, according to Tim Shoemaker of Eleven Warriors. 

Mickey Marotti, Ohio State's strength coach, agreed with McMillan's assessment that Booker brings something different to the field, via Shoemaker.

"

I just think it's his turn. There goes Josh Perry, here comes Dante Booker.

He's a gifted, talented player that has done some good things for us, but look around and it's, "OK, it's my turn." Some of these younger players after the other guys are gone, it's just different.

"

There must be something to all the praise Booker has garnered this offseason, because on Monday, he found himself among the best linebackers in the country on the preseason Butkus Award watch list. 

It's just a preseason watch list, of course, but Booker's inclusion speaks to his potential, as he's nearly two months away from making his first collegiate start. 

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The Buckeyes boast a defense he can thrive in, as they've showcased the ability to put speedy linebackers in position to produce. He has the skill set to shine, and his teammates are eager to unleash him in the open field.

"Dante's a good athlete, man," McMillan said, according to Tony Gerdeman of The Ozone. "When he gets on the field, he does some stuff that you all haven't even seen yet in practice. It's amazing. One of the fastest guys on defense regardless of position. He just brings that pop."

All recruiting rankings and information via 247Sports.

David Regimbal is the lead Ohio State football writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.