Otis Reese IV

Otis Sylvester Reese IV (born July 2, 1998) is an American football linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia and Ole Miss.

Otis Reese IV
No. 41 – Tennessee Titans
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1998-07-02) July 2, 1998
Leesburg, Georgia, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:214 lb (97 kg)
Career information
High school:Lee County (Leesburg, Georgia)
College:Georgia (2018–2019)
Ole Miss (2020–2022)
Undrafted:2023
Career history
Roster status:Practice squad
Career NFL statistics as of Week 4, 2023
Tackles:1
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early life and education

Reese was born on July 2, 1998, and grew up in Leesburg, Georgia.[1] He attended Lee County High School and was ranked a four-star prospect, the 87th-best player nationally and the fifth-best outside linebacker by 247Sports.[2] He initially committed to play college football for the Michigan Wolverines before flipping his commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs.[2] As a true freshman in 2018, Reese played in 11 games, and the following year, he played all 14 games and posted two tackles.[3]

Reese transferred to Ole Miss in 2020 and applied for an immediate eligibility waiver with the NCAA, calling out what he described as "racist events" at the school that took a "devastating mental toll."[4][5][6] Despite him having announced his transfer at the start of the year, the NCAA waited until the third-to-last game of the season to grant him eligibility.[7][8] He played the final three games and had 24 tackles with an interception.[9]

Reese started all 13 games for Ole Miss in 2021, placing fourth on the team with 90 tackles while also having two pass breakups, one forced fumble, two tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks.[10] In 2022, he continued as a starter and had 84 tackles (second-best on the team), eight for a loss, three sacks and an interception.[11] He declared for the National Football League Draft after the season, finishing his stint at the school with 198 total tackles, two interceptions and 4.5 sacks.[12]

Professional career

After going unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft, Reese was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent.[13] He earned praise from coach Mike Vrabel in training camp and made the team's final roster.[14][15] He was waived on September 22, 2023 and re-signed to the practice squad.[16][17]

References
  1. "Otis Reese". Ole Miss Rebels.
  2. Baumgardner, Nick (February 7, 2018). "Otis Reese, a 4-star LB, flips to Georgia from Michigan football". Detroit Free Press.
  3. "Otis Reese". Georgia Bulldogs.
  4. Schlabach, Mark (September 23, 2020). "Georgia disputes ex-safety Otis Reese's claim of racial insensitivity". ESPN.
  5. Austin, Brooks (September 22, 2020). "Otis Reese Says Smart Manipulated Him, Racist Events Led to Transfer". Sports Illustrated.
  6. Stephenson, Creg (September 22, 2020). "Ole Miss DB Otis Reese says time at Georgia 'took devastating mental toll'". AL.com.
  7. Suss, Nick (September 24, 2020). "Otis Reese posts about quest for eligibility". Clarion-Ledger. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  8. Thompson, Jake (November 20, 2020). "NCAA rules Otis Reese immediately eligible". The Oxford Eagle.
  9. McCready, Neal (August 9, 2021). "Reese ready to play and lead". Rivals.com.
  10. Garrett, Ben (August 31, 2022). "Otis Reese didn't have to get hyped up for game week and Ole Miss' season opener. He's been there for a while". On3.com.
  11. King, Ben (April 30, 2023). "Ole Miss Undrafted Free Agent Tracker: Multiple Rebels Have Been Signed Since the NFL Draft Closed". Sports Illustrated.
  12. Gillespie, John Macon (January 6, 2023). "Defensive Back Otis Reese Declares For NFL Draft". Sports Illustrated.
  13. Moraitis, Mike (May 12, 2023). "Titans agree to terms with 14 undrafted free agents". USA Today.
  14. Moraitis, Mike (August 5, 2023). "Titans' Mike Vrabel loves him so 'O-T-I-S' Reese". USA Today.
  15. Suss, Nick (August 29, 2023). "Tennessee Titans 53-man roster finalized: See who's made it onto the depth chart". The Tennessean.
  16. Wyatt, Jim (September 22, 2023). "Titans Make Several Roster Moves Ahead of Sunday's Game vs Browns". TennesseeTitans.com.
  17. Wyatt, Jim (September 26, 2023). "Titans Promote OL Justin Murray to Active Roster, Place RB Julius Chestnut, Safety Mike Brown on Injured Reserve". TennesseeTitans.com.
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