Giants Rookie Arvell Reese Facing Questions About His High School GPA

Arvell Reese proved to all 32 NFL teams that he didn't just develop his skills on the gridiron during his time at Ohio State.

Prior to the start of the 2026 NFL Draft, Reese told CBS Sports that he had a 0.4 GPA at Glenville High School in Cleveland. It wasn't until he got to Ohio State that he started excelling in the classroom.

Reese went from struggling in class to earning a 3.7 GPA at Ohio State. His hard work earned him Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2023 and 2024.

"I think the secret is just time and effort," Reese told CBS Sports. "In high school, it was a time where I didn't even try in school or didn't really think school was important. So, it just took for me to just lock in with it and take it serious."

WFAN's Craig Carton couldn't help but question Reese's college GPA. He's not convinced the star linebacker went from a 0.4 to a 3.7 overnight.

"How does a kid who had a 0.4 GPA through high school leave Ohio State with a 3.7 GPA," Carton said. "I'd like to figure that out."

If Carton was paying close attention to Reese's pre-draft comments, he'd know the top prospect enrolled in a credit recovery program at Glenville.

"Like, my junior year, I went to a school, I had no offers, my GPA was not eligible to get into college," Reese added. "As soon as I got back with Ted Ginn, he immediately took me in and he told me I could be someone."

The future is bright for Arvell Reese.

Since the Giants have a plethora of talented pass rushers on their roster, the plan is for Reese to be an off-ball linebacker. Of course, he'll still get a chance to make an impact off the edge.

"Arvell is a versatile player. We're gonna play him at inside backer, WILL backer. Our defense is flexible, position-less," Giants coach John Harbaugh said. "He'll have an opportunity to move around, but he'll line up next to Tremaine [Edmunds]."

Reese showcased his versatility during the 2025 season, racking up 69 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and two pass breakups.

We can't wait to see how Reese performs in New York.

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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 7:40 AM.