Willie Mobley Leaving Ohio State for UCLA

The defensive line returns a number of starters from last year much like the safety position for Ohio State but now word comes that some of the depth at defensive tackle will not return. Red-shirted defensive tackle Willie Mobley has chosen to leave the Buckeyes and transfer to UCLA.

By Steve Patterson

Location was a factor in the transfer according to some reports. Willie Mobley’s family recently moved from Minnesota to Los Angeles so the move to UCLA makes it convenient for his family to see the games and for him to travel home with ease. At times during his first year on the team, Mobley had home sickness similar to many freshman from out-of-state.

Another factor was the depth at the position this year which has made it difficult for Mobley to move into the rotation after an injury that he suffered last season. Cameron Heyward, Doug Worthington, Todd Denlinger, and Dexter Larimore are set to rotate at the 2 defensive tackle positions. With reports that Garrett Goebel has had a very good camp.

Mobley came to Ohio State as the 9th best defensive end in the country as a part of the 2008 class. He had offers from Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin in addition to Ohio State. He visited the Buckeyes in early November of 2007 and committed at the end of the month with a mid-month official visit to Minnesota.