Is Ohio State's 'thin' offensive line experience a recruiting problem? Here's how it was built
When Ohio State takes the field against Indiana on Saturday, it will do so with three new starters on the offensive line.
Losing Paris Johnson Jr., Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler to the NFL, the Buckeyes have only two returning offensive linemen from last season’s starting five: left guard Donovan Jackson and right guard Matthew Jones, who each had at least 700 snaps last season.
Ohio State’s eight returning scholarship linemen head into the 2023 season with 585 snaps combined, while the Buckeyes also added two transfers — Josh Simmons and Victor Cutler — and four freshmen: Austin Siereveld, Joshua Padilla, Miles Walker and Luke Montgomery.
Two weeks before the Buckeyes’ season opener against the Hoosiers, Ohio State coach Ryan Day has named his starting offensive line, putting Josh Fryar at right tackle, Carson Hinzman at center and Simmons at left tackle, with Jones and Jackson occupying the guard slots.
“In a situation where we felt like we were thin on the O-line, you turn around after a few months and feel like we have some decent depth,” Day said.
But is Ohio State’s initially “thin” offensive line a recruiting problem?
Here’s a look at how Justin Frye’s room has been built up for the start of the 2023 season.
How Ohio State’s offensive line room was built
In the past six recruiting classes, the Buckeyes have signed 24 offensive linemen. Of those signees, six — Nicholas Petit-Frere, Matthew Jones, Dawand Jones, Johnson, Wypler and Jackson — have played at least 500 snaps in a collegiate season.
Since 2018, Ohio State has signed six linemen who were ranked in the top 100: Petit-Frere, Matthew Jones, Johnson, Jackson, Harry Miller and Montgomery, who was the No. 92-ranked player in the 2023 class per 247Sports’ composite rankings.
Only one of those players — Montgomery — is from Ohio.
At the same time, Ohio State has signed nine linemen ranked No. 300 or higher in their respective classes. Only two of those players — Dawand Jones and Fryar — have played more than 100 snaps in their college careers.
Without much experience, the Buckeyes added Simmons, who played 799 snaps at right tackle for San Diego State last season, and Cutler, who had 715 snaps at Louisiana Monroe in 2022, via the transfer portal ahead of the 2023 season.
Who has Ohio State missed landing on the offensive line?
Ohio State has had a few high-profile misses in recruiting for its offensive line.
In 2018, five-star offensive tackle and Fairfield, Ohio, native Jackson Carman chose Clemson over Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes, helping the Tigers to three ACC titles and three College Football Playoff appearances from 2018-20.
While Carman may be the most prominent in-state miss, the Buckeyes have come close to landing many top linemen nationally, including JC Latham, the No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 3 player in the 2021 class who was perceived as a favorite to land at Ohio State before Alabama secured his commitment.
The Buckeyes hosted official visits from Zach Rice, Kiyaunta Goodwin, Earnest Greene and Kam Dewberry in 2022, but did not land any of them, while Olaus Alinen picked Alabama as Ohio State's top option at offensive tackle in 2023.
Is Ohio State’s offensive line recruiting trend continuing in 2024?
Ohio State started its 2024 offensive line recruiting early.
Ian Moore, Marc Nave, Deontae Armstrong and Devontae Armstrong were four of the Buckeyes' six commitments in the 2024 class. With Moore leading the way as the No. 128 player in the country, the Buckeyes do not have a top-100 offensive lineman in the 2024 class.
But Ohio State is still hoping for another commitment.
Brandon Baker, the 2024 lineman out of Santa Ana, California, is the No. 21 player and No. 1 offensive tackle in the country. He is reportedly strongly considering Ohio State, along with Georgia, Nebraska, Texas, Miami, Oregon and Southern California.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How Ohio State football built up its offensive line room for 2023
