Pat Elflein has been through an offensive line reshape in his Ohio State career before. Last time, though, he was part of the turnover. This time, he’s a central component staying put.
The Buckeyes need to replace three starters along their offensive line for the 2016 season; Elflein and guard Billy Price are the only two returners. The situation is somewhat similar to the 2014 campaign when Ohio State needed to plug four holes up front following a massive talent loss after the 2013 season.
It’s certainly a tall task, and Urban Meyer often refers to the Buckeyes as “an offensive-line driven program,” but Elflein said recently at Big Ten Media Days he finds a bit of comfort knowing this type of transition is possible, and that it has been done before.
“I think getting the left guard and the right tackle solidified and getting them comfortable, getting them in a rhythm and getting them consistent,” Elflein said. “During camp, it’s stringing a few good practices together and getting them some confidence.
“I think if we can get some consistency between those two spots and get them a little mentally sharper on everything, I think we’ll be just fine.”
Three starters need to be replaced, but one has already been officially named. Meyer declared junior Jamarco Jones as Ohio State’s starting left tackle back during spring practice. Elflein’s confidence stems from that, and the Buckeyes’ captain said he believes Jones can be an All-Big Ten level player this season.
The other two spots, however, are still a little bit uncertain. Elflein will be the center and the plan right now is for Price to play right guard, but the left guard and right tackle positions, as Elflein mentioned, are the two question marks.
Sophomore Isaiah Prince is the leading candidate to earn that right tackle spot, though junior college transfer Malcolm Pridgeon could find his way into the mix should he have an impressive training camp. Ohio State opens up fall camp Sunday, Aug. 7.
“I think you’ll probably tell within the first few days of pads who is ready to take that job or who is ready to be a backup. We’ll tell then.”– Pat Elflein
“[Prince] still has some areas to improve on. He’s tall, he’s athletic, he’s strong, he gets after people. If he can keep growing up, learn the playbook and adjust and acknowledge certain situations — he needs to get more experience at that,” Elflein said. “He’s got some growing up to do I think he’ll be just fine.
“He’s got all the intangibles, all the tools to be a great tackle so it’s just a matter of him being in the program, going through camp and just getting more comfortable in there.”
At left guard, Meyer said true freshman Michael Jordan will “probably be the starter” before backing off those remarks a little bit. An early enrollee, the 6-foot-7, 310-pound Jordan worked with the first-team offense throughout the majority of spring practice.
“First week of training camp, we’re going to find out,” Meyer said. “His performance in this spring and summer, he’d be the second — Maurkice Pouncey is the first true freshman starter [I’ve had] on the offensive line. He’d be the second if he makes it, but I didn’t say he was the starter yet.”
Elflein said Jordan’s style of play is what stands out most.
“He’s a smart guy. He’s taking coaching very well. He gets after guys, which sometimes you have to try and develop that nastiness. Some guys just have it and he has it,” Elflein said of Jordan. “He may not be doing the right thing all the time, but he’s going to try and get after you, pancake you. He has that which is kind of the foundation for the offensive line and if you have that, we can work on everything else.”
Should Ohio State’s starting five consists of Jones, Jordan, Elflein, Price and Prince when it’s all said and done, Pridgeon, Matt Burrell, Demetrius Knox and Evan Lisle could all provide the Buckeyes with some additional quality depth up front. Burrell and Knox seem like the most likely candidates to push Jordan for that starting left guard position in fall camp.
“The spring and summer were very competitive. You were fighting for a job every day,” Elflein said. “It was very competitive, guys were getting after it and I think those guys had a good summer as well.”
With under a week until camp begins, things are far from settled on the offensive line for Ohio State. There’s a sense of calmness from certain players about the situation, though.
Some of them have done this before.
“I think the battle is going to continue during camp to see who is going to separate themselves,” Elflein said. “I think you’ll probably tell within the first few days of pads who is ready to take that job or who is ready to be a backup. We’ll tell then.”
