The Linchpins: #8 Etienne Sabino

Will Sabino finally be dancing with the first team? (Photo via life.com)

Drew Thurman (11:45 am)

In this series of profiles, we are taking a look at some of the under the radar Buckeye players who play a vital role in a championship run. Everyone knows the importance of players like Pryor, Saine, Posey, Brewster, Boren, Heyward, Homan, and Rolle. This series is not about those big names players, rather the indispensable guys that get looked over. Check out #8 Etienne Sabino...

Why he is important:

A few of you may be surprised that Sabino is on this list, and that I have already assumed Andrew Sweat won't be able to beat him out for the strongside lineback spot. Well, I think Fickell has made it crystal clear that Sabino is going to be the guy this fall, and on top of that, his athleticism could provide too much to pass up regardless. 

In fact, it's that athleticism that puts him on this list and makes him an important piece to a championship run. We all know that defense wins championships, but as the last decade has proved, it's the truly athletic defenses that make that statement true. Take Alabama's defense last year or Florida's the year before that. They had eleven guys who brought NFL caliber intangibles to the table, and they overwhelmed the competition. Sabino is superfreak who will brings those type of skills to the Buckeyes. No offense to Austin Spitler, because I thought he was a solid leader, but Sabino will be a huge upgrade in 2010 to the linebacking core.

What he did this spring:

Sabino was one of the big names this spring because he stepped into Spitler's spot, and had little competition since Sweat was injured. This meant his play got analyzed pretty thoroughly, and some of the unanswered questions surrounding his lack of playing time the last two seasons got answered.

The first thing that came out is that Sabino was finally progressing in maturity. Fickell made it known numerous times that Sabino is only 19 years old as a junior, and is finally understanding schemes to match his athleticism. A redshirt probably would have been a good thing for him, but it appears it is finally his time. A lot of that can be attributed to his work ethic. Brian Rolle had this to say about it to The Morning Journal:

“I know he’s a guy who has work ethic, but he wants to be perfect,” said fellow linebacker Brian Rolle. “I tell him every day, ‘Man, we can’t be perfect. We’ve just got to do what’s in ourselves and do our best.’

“He’s calling ME to go to the film room more,” Rolle said with a laugh. “He’s just a guy who wants to learn.”

Second, spring also proved that the newfound maturity and work ethic that Sabino has acquired is leading to him to play more fluidly. Rather than being so robotic, he is showing signs of being more instinctive and reactive. Brandon Castel noted this in the midst of spring practice:

"Etienne Sabino is looking much more comfortable this spring. Just ask linebackers coach Luke Fickell. He has always had the athleticism to play linebacker at Ohio State, but it seems like he is finally starting to understand the defensive scheme, which has lead to him reacting now instead of hesitating. Although he is a junior this year, it’s almost unfair to say ‘finally’ considering he still only 19 years old. He had a good whack on tailback Boom Herron Friday and seems to fly around out there now that he knows where he is going. There’s a long way to go before the start of the season, but Sabino is definitely out in front to replace Austin Spitler as the third starting linebacker." 

Sabino did live up to all the spring hype with a solid spring game in front of the fans. He finished the afternoon with seven total tackles, and was around the ball all afternoon long.

Looking ahead to 2010:

Sabino will be a great addition alongside Ross Homan and Brian Rolle. In the Tressel era there have been some great linebacking core trios, and that tradition appears to continue in 2010.

As for Sabino personally, I think he is still one year removed from complete stardom. He is going to make some errors this year, but his athleticism will help give him some incredible highlights. His size and speed are sick, and the way he head hunts makes him someone to watch in 2010. 

The Linchpins:

10) Ben Buchanan
9) Devon Torrence
8) Etienne Sabino