We started our position series with the quarterbacks, the biggest question mark on Ohio State’s 2023 roster. Now we are diving into another position of uncertainty.
The offensive line, which has to replace both tackle positions and its center, has 18 scholarship players, many of whom will have a chance to battle for a starting spot.
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Offensive line coach Justin Frye is excited about the challenge of figuring out the best five players to start.
Let’s dive into the position battles and who might earn those five spots.
The roster
Ohio State lost three O-line players to the NFL Draft this offseason, including starting tackles Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones and center Luke Wypler.
Those are three massive holes to fill, but the Buckeyes return both starting guards with sixth-year right guard Matthew Jones and third-year left guard Donovan Jackson. Those are Ohio State’s top two offensive linemen, but there’s talent elsewhere.
Fourth-year tackle Josh Fryar is expected to jump into the starting lineup this year at either tackle spot.
OSU scholarship OL, 2023
| Name | Year |
|---|---|
Matthew Jones | 6 |
Victor Cutler | 5 |
Enokk Vimahi | 5 |
Josh Fryar | 4 |
Jakob James | 4 |
Trey Leroux | 4 |
Grant Toutant | 4 |
Ben Christman | 3 |
Donovan Jackson | 3 |
Zen Michalski | 3 |
George Fitzpatrick | 2 |
Avery Henry | 2 |
Carson Hinzman | 2 |
Tegra Tshabola | 2 |
Luke Montgomery | 1 |
Joshua Padilla | 1 |
Austin Siereveld | 1 |
Miles Walker | 1 |
Along with Fryar, Ohio State has a host of upperclassmen battling for a rotational spot this offseason: fifth-year tackle Enokk Vimahi, fourth-year tackle Trey Leroux and fourth-year tackle Jakob James.
The Buckeyes also added a transfer in fifth-year interior lineman Victor Cutler.
Third-year tackle Zen Michalski should expect to see a lot of reps this spring and might hope to jump up the depth chart along with talented second-year players like Tegra Tshabola and Carson Hinzman.
Ohio State signed four offensive linemen in the 2023 class: Luke Montgomery, Joshua Padilla, Austin Siereveld and Miles Walker. They are all on campus for spring practice.
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Who will miss the spring because of injury?
Jakob James is the only offensive lineman expected to miss the spring. Though he’s missing crucial reps, he will remain a starting option at center.
Donovan Jackson was the highest-rated offensive lineman in Ohio State’s 2021 recruiting class. (Barbara Perenic / USA Today)Projected depth chart
Ohio State has two starting guards. That’s about all we know.
Frye joked that he knows he must start five players when the season starts, but he’s still trying to sort out the lineup.
Jackson and Matthew Jones are expected to get the starting reps at guard. It was thought that Jones would move to center this offseason, but coach Ryan Day said he’s staying at guard.
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That means Ohio State needs to find a center. There are a few options on paper with Cutler, James and Hinzman. But with James out for the spring, I’ll go with Cutler for now. Hinzman is someone to watch for; the coaching staff has raved about his performance in practice leading up to the Peach Bowl.
As for the tackles, that’s easy. I’ll go with Michalski at left tackle and Fryar at right tackle. Tshabola has moved to tackle and could push for a spot along with George Fitzpatrick.
Vimahi remains an X-factor who could be used for depth inside.
They said it
“I think we have a chance to have a good offensive line. If we feel like we have to add somebody else, we will. But right now we are going into the spring with the guys we have and see how things go, evaluate it and come up for air after the spring.” — Day, on the chance of adding a transfer.
“It makes us the hungriest. Last year you came in, and you have an All-American here and a guy here, another guy here with Dawand, Paris and those guys. That was great. We had a great year. Moving into it now, that’s the coaching part of it. We have some younger guys, but they are all hungry, they want to be good, and they all want to get coached. As a coach, that’s the exciting part of it. We get to go, ‘Is it this guy here? Do we move a guy here?’ We will figure it out along the way.” — Frye, on the offensive line being unsettled.
What needs to be seen from the offensive line this spring?
There’s so much that needs to be figured out up front, but center remains the biggest uncertainty.
Ohio State didn’t expect Wypler to declare for the draft, which sent the staff looking for a replacement. The Buckeyes grabbed Cutler out of the transfer portal, which was an important addition now that James is out for the spring. It’s not a given that Cutler will take over the starting spot in the spring, though.
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Hinzman has been mentioned by a lot of people this offseason. The second-year player was the No. 9 interior offensive lineman in the 2022 class and will get plenty of chances to compete for the starting spot with Cutler.
Expect James to be in the running when he gets healthy heading into fall camp. This position battle will likely be ongoing as the season nears.
I’m also interested to see where Vimahi settles in. If he’s not playing center and Jones and Jackson are starting at guard, could he compete as a backup for both? He and Fryar were the only non-starting offensive linemen who played more than 100 snaps last season. The former No. 7 guard in the 2019 class will be on the field somewhere, even if it’s as a rotation player.
As for tackle, there’s so much to look for.
Fryar has been at right tackle, but is there an argument to move him to left tackle if he’s the best tackle on the roster? Michalski will obviously be in the running there, but most teams have their best tackle play left tackle. Can Tshabola and Fitzpatrick push for a starting role too? Tshabola has been thought of as a guard, but Day said they’re moving him to his high school position at tackle. He and Hinzman could be two second-year players who end up making a difference for the Buckeyes next season.
(Top photo of Matthew Jones: Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today)
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