WITH TRANSFER ADDITIONS LIKELY FINISHED FOR NOW, SPRING WILL GIVE OHIO STATE A CHANCE TO REVIEW ITS OFFENSIVE LINE PIECES
Ohio State appears to have given up on offensive linemen for the time being on the transfer portal.
There are no obvious transfer prospects left in Ohio State’s position group since Kadyn Proctor left for Iowa. All the Buckeyes have done is add former Alabama center Seth McLaughlin.
If Ohio State chooses, it will still have the ability to add some road graders during the post-spring transfer window. However, spring practice presents a chance to assess the players Ohio State currently has on the roster.
Okay, I understand what a lot of you are thinking.
Yes, Ohio State’s offensive line in the Cotton Bowl was just disgusting. Yes, even with a few improvements throughout the regular season, the front five continued to be the team’s greatest weakness in 2023. The previous summer, the Buckeyes only added one starter via the transfer portal; it looks like they have added another one this offseason as well.
Having said that, even without any more transfers through the transfer site, Ohio State could have the makings of a strong offensive line. Over the course of the next three months, the Buckeyes will need to determine how feasible that idea is.
Working left to right, let’s do this. The offensive line is very much set, from left tackle to center.
After transferring from San Diego State, Josh Simmons showed some progress last season as a left tackle, displaying the athleticism that attracted Ryan Day and company to him in the transfer portal. He gave up 15 total pressures and one sack throughout the season, according to Pro Football Focus, with a 71.9 pass-blocking grade and a 65.8 run-blocking mark. He also reduced his number of penalties by a considerable amount; with the Aztecs, he went from a career-high 17 penalties to only eight this past season.
Simmons has demonstrated that he can play well in a front five, so it’s not like he should be beyond criticism if the Buckeyes return to the transfer portal in the spring window.
The starting left guard for Ohio State is set. For the third year in a row, Donovan Jackson returned to Ohio State for his fourth and final season to take the starting job.
With Jackson, there isn’t much to assess this spring. Despite a few uncharacteristic performances in 2023, he is a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection with All-American talent. He was one of four Buckeyes selected on Tuesday for ESPN’s College Football All-America squad that was released much too early in 2024.
McLaughlin transferred from Alabama, so even with his acknowledged snapping issues against Michigan in the College Football Playoff, center is likely to lose his position.
In 2024, Donovan Jackson makes a comeback as a pillar of the Ohio State offensive line.The true intrigue is on the right side.
Matt Jones, the starting right guard for Ohio State a season ago, is no longer with them. Enokk Vimahi was the first guy up to replace him when he slid to center in the Cotton Bowl, and to put it mildly, he did not live up to expectations. He was perhaps the most reliable member of the Buckeyes’ starting five.
But there are alternatives to Vimahi. Tegra Tshabola, who is about to start his third season in Columbus, played against Missouri as a sixth offensive lineman after sliding inside from tackle the previous season. With his quick feet and 6-6, 320-pound physique, he has excellent physical tools to compete at that place or possibly at right tackle.
Speaking of right tackles, Josh Fryar had a lot of ups and downs when starting opposite Simmons in 2023. For Fryar, speed rushers from the edge posed a special challenge.
Even though Fryar was still a potent run blocker, many experts, including this writer, thought that guard would be Fryar’s best position. He will be a strong contender to start if he decides to go inside.
Before the season finale, Carson Hinzman was replaced at center, although he stayed to compete on the inside. Hinzman’s year of starting experience combined with his overall talent as a top-200 prospect should give him a viable option at right guard if McLaughlin is really meant to start at snapper.
Let’s go back to Fryar for a second. He may stay at right tackle through 2024, but Luke Montgomery is one of the reasons, besides his skill set, why a move inside could make sense.
As a true freshman, Montgomery made an impression at the tackle position by playing in the previously stated Bison package. Of all the offensive linemen that did not start a game in 2023, he played the most snaps (44).
Montgomery is currently the most highly regarded prospect in the Buckeyes’ position room, aside from Jackson. In the 247Sports composite rankings for the class of 2023, he was ranked as the 92nd-best prospect.
Depending on Montgomery’s developmental stage, Ohio State may decide to look at other offensive tackles during the spring transfer window or shift Fryar inside.
Zen Michalski, a redshirt junior, participated in the offensive tackle competition in the previous spring but withdrew rapidly. George Fitzpatrick, a redshirt sophomore, may also run in 2024.
This spring, Ohio State’s offensive line will have a lot of players under close scrutiny, particularly on the right side. The Buckeyes can’t afford to let their front five hold them back in 2024, with everything returning for defense.
