by Imran Tahir, 1/12/08.  Vernon Gholston has become the first Buckeye underclassmen to leave for the 2008 Draft. At 6’4,” 265 lbs., Gholston is an incredible physical specimen, and rumblings amongst some NFL Scouts (backed up by the size & tone of Gholston’s arms) suggest that the Buckeye pass-rusher may very well be the single strongest player in this year’s Draft. Gholston burst onto the scene during his Sophomore season, racking up an impressive 15 tackles behind the line of scrimmage (totaling 86 yards in losses) in addition to 7.5 sacks. Ohio State coaches predicted that Gholston’s 2007 campaign would be one of the best in school history, and they were right. Gholston was absolutely dominant off the edge this past year, surpassing current New England Patriots LB Mike Vrabel for first all-time in school history with 14 sacks in a single season! Even more, 3 of those sacks came against school rival Michigan, as Gholston shockingly made top Draft prospect Jake Long (LT) look very beatable in pass protection. A sure bet to impress in workouts, Gholston may soon be able to claim that he is no worse than the second-best DE in this year’s Draft, even ahead of standout Juniors Calais Campbell (Miami (Fla.)) and Derrick Harvey (Florida), as well as Seniors Lawrence Jackson (USC) and Quentin Groves (Auburn). Gholston is a lock to be selected in Round 1 of the Draft, possibly as high as pick #15, where his hometown Detroit Lions lay waiting.