Why Ohio State Students Should Beware of Joey Bosa

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Even with his new haircut, it's not hard to spot Joey Bosa on Ohio State's campus.

At 6'6" and 275 pounds, the Buckeyes star defensive end is much larger than most college students. But it's not just Bosa's size and celebrity status that has gotten him recognized around campus lately, as classmates have been treated to a firsthand look at some of his newest pass-rushing moves for the 2015 season.

"It will be random, out at night, and there will be two people walking in a row and I'll flip on one and flip on the other," Bosa said as he mimicked the motion of a defensive lineman's swim move. "[They're] probably a little scared or shocked."

The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native said he's constantly been working on his repertoire of moves since the 2014 season came to a close, whether it's been refining old ones or thinking of new ones. "It's pretty much in your mind, 24/7, so you're pretty much always working on it," Bosa said.

It's hard to imagine Bosa would even have much to work on after a 2014 campaign that saw him named a unanimous All-American in what was just his sophomore season. In 15 games, the Sunshine State product tallied 55 tackles, 21 of which came for a loss, and 13.5 sacks, and he was responsible for perhaps the most memorable play during Ohio State's run to the national title:

Yet despite his ability to control a game from the defensive end position in just the second year of his college career, Bosa insists he has plenty of improving to do.

So much so, in fact, that when asked what he's been working on this spring, Bosa declined to name a single element of his game. Rather, the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year said that he's been working to improve on everything in his skill set, despite seeing just limited reps for precautionary purposes this spring.

"I can't really pick one spot in my game that I can get better at because I think I can improve at every part of my game," he said. "That's the plan—not just getting better at one thing but improving in every aspect of my game."

And while Bosa may be right, it's hard to imagine a player getting much better when he would likely be a high first-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft if he were draft eligible. Instead, Bosa will have to wait until next year's annual selection show, where he's already in the running to be the first player selected.

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WalterFootball.com currently projects Bosa to be the No. 1 pick in next year's draft, while CBSSports.com lists him as the No. 1 overall defensive end in the 2017 class. That's because as a junior, he could always opt to return to Ohio State for a fourth and final season in 2016, although with the hype he's already receiving, that's highly unlikely.

Bosa's even admitted that he's aware of the draft-related expectations that are following him into the upcoming season. But rather than letting them become a distraction like Jadeveon Clowney did in 2013, he's attempting to use it as motivation to live up to the hype.

"I'm not really thinking about it much," Bosa insisted. "I have my goals set just to get better."

Buckeyes defensive line coach Larry Johnson concurred.

"It will not happen," Johnson said of the possibility of Bosa taking plays off to guard against injury and protect his draft stock. "Because he wants to be great. Great players do not shut down. Great players go forward and that's what we hope Joey will do."

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Judging by his impromptu on-campus pass-rush practice, that's the path Bosa appears to have chosen. Johnson said he's even been used as a prop by his star player in such drills around the halls of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center as Bosa prepares for his highly touted junior season.

"We can't write the story now. We'll write the story at the end of the season," Johnson said. "He has a chance to be a really special player."

With all he's already accomplished in the first two years of his college career, one could argue he already is.

But the idea of Bosa being even better than he was a year ago? That might be even scarier than being the target of one of his random on-campus pass-rush sessions.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.