Ask anyone around four-star Ohio offensive tackle Austin Siereveld and it wouldn’t be hard to find out where his college football loyalties belonged growing up.
“I watched every (Ohio State) game growing up,” Siereveld told Eleven Warriors in October shortly after he received his Buckeyes offer. “You could say (Ohio State is) my dream offer ... Everyone in my community is Ohio State fans. Having them potentially supporting me would be great.”
Hearing something like that would make you think that particular athlete’s recruitment is going to be a short one. That wasn’t the case for Siereveld.
Although he eventually committed to Ohio State on Wednesday, the 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive lineman was determined to let the process play out and find the school best suited for him. Notre Dame and Alabama were both strong suitors for the Ohio standout, but after getting comfortable with new OSU offensive line coach Justin Frye, he eventually decided Ohio State was the place he wanted to call home for the next three to five years.
The biggest qualities Siereveld was seeking in a school were top facilities, coaching staff and academics, and OSU exceeded his standards in all three areas. His relationship with Frye grew over the spring, as it started off purely over phone calls and text messages, but after visiting in-person twice within the last month, Siereveld said Frye is a coach he’d love playing for.
While the mild-mannered Siereveld isn’t one to typically show much emotion, picking the hometown Buckeyes was something truly special to his family and for himself.
On The Field
While Siereveld has a pretty reserved personality off the field, he’s got a mean streak to rival the best of them on the field.
Siereveld isn’t afraid to drive an opponent into the ground, often besting prep defensive ends and tackles with his sheer size and power. He’s embarrassed defenders in both run and pass blocking, and Siereveld shows great tenacity when firing off the line of scrimmage on running plays.
His hands are quick for someone his size, and Siereveld has also shown quick feet, particularly in pass protection and leading the way for blocking on a halfback screen. Siereveld has a high motor and plays physical through the whistle. On rare occasions, he’s been physical enough where it’s resulted in the removal of his opponent’s helmet.
Siereveld has played both left tackle and guard for Lakota East. At the next level, Siereveld likely slots as a center or a guard. Siereveld said he’s happy to play any position on the Buckeyes’ offensive line.
“Whatever position Coach puts me in, I’m OK with,” Siereveld said in March.
In The Class
Siereveld is ranked as the 351st-best prospect and the 20th-best interior offensive lineman in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. He becomes the third four-star offensive lineman in the class, along with fellow in-state products Luke Montgomery and Joshua Padilla.
With Siereveld in the fold, Ohio State has nearly all of its in-state targets locked down and committed for 2023. Three-star linebacker Arvell Reese is the lone remaining uncommitted 2023 Ohio prospect that currently holds an OSU offer, so he by default becomes the highest-priority remaining in-state target for the Buckeyes.
Five of the first 10 commitments for OSU in the current cycle have come from Ohio: Siereveld, Montgomery, Padilla, Will Smith Jr. and Malik Hartford.
With Siereveld joining the class, the Buckeyes now have the fourth-ranked class of 2023 nationally, jumping from the No. 6 spot. As it stands, the Buckeyes have eight four-star recruits committed and two three-star recruits on board.
The Buckeyes still have a major need for offensive tackles to complete its offensive line recruiting class of 2023. Ohio State will remain in heavy pursuit of top tackle targets such as Chase Bisontis, Olaus Alinen, Samson Okunlola, Monroe Freeling and Ian Reed.
Ohio State is probably set on the interior offensive line for 2023, though, with both Padilla and Siereveld coming to Columbus next season.
