Arvell Reese Becomes 11th Ohio State Freshman To Shed Black Stripe in 2023

Tuesday the color of the stripe parting his helmet changed from black to scarlet, as the freshman shed his black stripe to "officially" become a member of Ohio State's team.

Welcome the newest member of the Brotherhood, @arvxll pic.twitter.com/U2Yfn7kQUo

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 22, 2023

Reese is the 11th Ohio State true freshman to have his black stripe removed this offseason. He's the second freshman defensive lineman, joining defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, and third defensive lineman overall, with Ole Miss transfer Tywone Malone dropping his black stripe earlier in fall camp.

A product of the Ohio State pipeline of Glenville, Reese was a four-star prospect ranked 211th overall by the 247Sports composite. He was the nation's No. 22 linebacker and No. 5 recruit from Ohio.

The decision to switch him to defensive end, where he's been playing out of a two-point stance, was first prompted by his high school coaches, per Ryan Day. It’s not guaranteed to be a permanent change, however – that will depend on how he develops.

"Coach (Ted) Ginn during the process recruiting Arvell had mentioned that that was something he foresaw down the road," Day said. "When Arvell got here, we immediately saw that he has a lot of talent. Explosive, twitchy, smart, big. He did a nice job at linebacker.

"We felt like, maybe, taking a look for a week at defensive end, because he's going to get to 255 (pounds) really fast. He has the twitch and has the strength and has the length to play at defensive end. Maybe as a freshman that may be best for him, we have not made any decisions yet."

Reese was the second Buckeye to get his black stripe removed Tuesday, joining senior safety Ja'Had Carter, a transfer from Syracuse. Ohio State has removed 24 black stripes through spring and fall overall.