Cody Simon's Ohio State career involved earning a starting position early, losing that job after a coaching change and becoming a starter again in his final season. It likely wasn't the way the linebacker envisioned it but he left Columbus a national champion.
Last month, Simon's hard work and patience paid off when he was selected in the fourth round, No. 115 overall, by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2025 NFL Draft. This week, Simon was further rewarded when he signed his rookie contract. According to Spotrac, Simon's four-year deal is worth $5.204 million, including a $1.004 million signing bonus.
Simon was a four-star prospect, according to the 247Sports rankings, from St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City, New Jersey. He ranked as the No. 6 linebacker in the 2020 recruiting class, the top-ranked player from his home state and a top-100 prospect overall. Simon received scholarship offers from many top schools around the country, including Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Stanford, but he committed to the Scarlet and Gray on June 29, 2019.
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As a true freshman in 2020, Simon played in only two games on defense during the COVID-shortened season, recording a total of just four tackles as a backup. The linebacker also played on special teams, receiving snaps on kickoff returns and punts.
Simon played a larger role as a sophomore in 2021, starting alongside Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers. He set a then-career-high with 54 total tackles that year, while also registering 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, and one pass defended. Simon missed the Rose Bowl and much of the offseason due to an injury.
With Jim Knowles taking over as defensive coordinator before the 2022 season, Ohio State transitioned to a two-linebacker base formation, which meant Simon returned to a backup role. He played in every game that year but experienced a decrease in production, recording 32 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one pass defended, and one forced fumble.
Simon served as a backup to Eichenberg and Chambers once again in 2023, but he rotated into games more frequently, playing 300 snaps. The linebacker recorded 45 total tackles, three tackles for loss and two passes defended.
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With Eichenberg and Chambers moving on to the NFL in 2024, Simon became the Buckeyes' starting middle linebacker as a fifth-year senior. He was also named a captain and the Scarlet and Gray's 2024 Block O recipient. Despite missing the first game of the year, Simon finished the season with a team-leading 112 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, seven sacks, seven passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He was named the Defensive Most Valuable Player of both the Rose Bowl and the national championship game.
As a fourth-round pick, Simon will have to compete for a starting spot in Arizona, but now can focus on preparing for his rookie season.