When Ohio State defensive end Tyler Friday learned he had been selected as one of the team’s six captains following last Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage, it caught him off guard.

“I couldn't even process it at the moment,” Friday said. “I was thinking about practice.”

Three days later, the news had sunk in.

“It’s a great feeling,” he said.

The recognition came after Friday spent most of the past year rehabbing a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

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His extensive recovery stood out among teammates who watched him take months to return to full strength ahead of his fifth season with the Buckeyes.

“He came back grinding,” sophomore defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau said. “He came back like he never left.”

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Friday suffered his ACL injury last summer before the start of preseason training camp, a setback that kept him from stepping foot on the field during the season.

He had missed a handful of games due to injuries in previous seasons, but this was his most significant battle to get back on the field.

“It was very difficult,” Friday said, “but I got a great team here full of brothers. Instead of one brother, I got over a hundred here at Ohio State. During the tough times, I just leaned on them and my family and keep my faith in God, and I was able to get through it.”

Defensive line coach Larry Johnson said Friday showed leadership prior to his season-ending knee injury, but it was his attitude during the recovery process got everyone’s attention.

“You saw him every morning, every day, trying to get himself back,” Johnson said. “That was impressive to a lot of kids. It set the bar for who he was as a young man.”

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Having persevered, Friday is now looking to make an impact on a deep defensive line that could rotate up to a dozen linemen this season.

He has been a fixture in the rotation before, including starting five games over his sophomore and junior seasons, and he's made an impact in high-profile games.

In the College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Clemson in 2019, he sacked quarterback Trevor Lawrence, one of his three career sacks.

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Friday played 218 snaps that season, according to data from Pro Football Focus, the fourth-most among a group of Ohio State defensive ends that was led by Chase Young.

Johnson expects Friday to “provide a lot” for the Buckeyes this fall, especially toughness in the trenches.

“Tyler’s really a strong guy at the point of attack,” Johnson said. “He plays hard. He’s physical. He cares. We missed that last year. We missed a little bit of that leadership too.”

Friday deferred to teammates on questions about the leadership qualities that led him to be named a captain.

His priority has been providing a consistent presence throughout the offseason.

“I just try to come here, do my job every day, do what's asked of me, nothing more, nothing less,” he said.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Tyler Friday return from ACL injury impressing Ohio State players