Otis Reese

Otis Reese IV
No. 41 – Tennessee Titans
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1998-07-02) July 2, 1998 (age 26)
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:Active
Career NFL statistics as of Week 14, 2024
Total tackles:34
Interceptions:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

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

Early life and college career

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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

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Bench press
6 ft 2+7⁄8 in
(1.90 m) 		214 lb
(97 kg) 		31+3⁄4 in
(0.81 m) 		8+3⁄8 in
(0.21 m)		 4.45 s 7.38 s 18 reps
All values from Pro Day[13]

After going unselected in the 2023 NFL draft, Reese was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent.[14] He earned praise from coach Mike Vrabel in training camp and made the team's final roster.[15][16] He was waived on September 22, 2023, and re-signed to the practice squad.[17][18] He was promoted to the active roster on December 6.[19] Reese played seven games (three starts) during the 2023 season, recording 21 total tackles.[20]

Reese continued playing with the Titans during the 2024 season, primarily on special teams and as a backup linebacker.[21] Reese replaced an injured Kenneth Murray during Week 14's loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars, making seven tackles and catching his first career interception.[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Otis Reese". Ole Miss Rebels. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Baumgardner, Nick (February 7, 2018). "Otis Reese, a 4-star LB, flips to Georgia from Michigan football". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  3. ^ "Otis Reese". Georgia Bulldogs. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  4. ^ Schlabach, Mark (September 23, 2020). "Georgia disputes ex-safety Otis Reese's claim of racial insensitivity". ESPN. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  5. ^ Austin, Brooks (September 22, 2020). "Otis Reese Says Smart Manipulated Him, Racist Events Led to Transfer". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  6. ^ Stephenson, Creg (September 22, 2020). "Ole Miss DB Otis Reese says time at Georgia 'took devastating mental toll'". AL.com. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  7. ^ Suss, Nick (September 24, 2020). "Otis Reese posts about quest for eligibility". Clarion-Ledger. p. B1. Retrieved November 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  8. ^ Thompson, Jake (November 20, 2020). "NCAA rules Otis Reese immediately eligible". The Oxford Eagle. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  9. ^ McCready, Neal (August 9, 2021). "Reese ready to play and lead". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  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. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  11. ^ King, Ben (April 30, 2023). "Ole Miss Undrafted Free Agent Tracker: Multiple Rebels Have Been Signed Since the NFL Draft Closed". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  12. ^ Gillespie, John Macon (January 6, 2023). "Defensive Back Otis Reese Declares For NFL Draft". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  13. ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Otis Reese College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  14. ^ Moraitis, Mike (May 12, 2023). "Titans agree to terms with 14 undrafted free agents". USA Today. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  15. ^ Moraitis, Mike (August 5, 2023). "Titans' Mike Vrabel loves him so 'O-T-I-S' Reese". USA Today. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  16. ^ Suss, Nick (August 29, 2023). "Tennessee Titans 53-man roster finalized: See who's made it onto the depth chart". The Tennessean. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  17. ^ Wyatt, Jim (September 22, 2023). "Titans Make Several Roster Moves Ahead of Sunday's Game vs Browns". TennesseeTitans.com. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  18. ^ 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. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  19. ^ Wyatt, Jim (December 6, 2023). "Titans Promote LB Otis Reese IV to Active Roster, Sign Two Players to Team's Practice Squad". TennesseeTitans.com.
  20. ^ "Otis Reese 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  21. ^ "Otis Reese 2024 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  22. ^ "Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans - December 8th, 2024". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
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