It’s currently uncertain who will start at any of the three spots on Ohio State’s interior offensive line in 2021, and that uncertainty could last into the summer.
With Josh Myers and Wyatt Davis gone from last season, all three spots could be up for grabs, and even among those who are likely starters, it’s uncertain exactly where they’ll line up.
Harry Miller, who started five games at left guard and one game at center last season, has been widely expected to replace Myers at center. That’s not guaranteed, though, and the door will be open for other offensive linemen to push for that job this spring. Ryan Day revealed Monday that Miller will likely be unable to participate in any contact drills this spring while recovering from an unspecified injury.
Matthew Jones, who started three games at left guard (including both College Football Playoff games) last season, is another frontrunner to start on the interior offensive line, but it’s uncertain exactly which spot. Could he be in the mix to potentially start at center, especially with Miller sidelined this spring? That possibility hasn’t been ruled out for Jones, who was ranked as the No. 1 center in the recruiting class of 2018, and Day wants both Jones and Miller to have the flexibility to play either center or guard.
Similarly, Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones are both in the mix to compete at guard even though they’ve spent most of their Ohio State careers at tackle (and could move back there in the future).
The more the Buckeyes can develop their offensive linemen to play multiple spots along the line, the more equipped they’ll be to have their best possible offensive line on the field when the games begin this fall.
“I think one of the things for us in the O-line is having flexibility,” Day said. “Like you’re saying, somebody like Matt Jones being able to play center or guard; when Harry gets healthy being able to play center or guard. Someone like Paris being able to play tackle or guard. The more flexibility that you have, the more options you’re gonna have. And the idea is to find our best five offensive linemen, that’s it. And if we can do that, and get those guys on the field, that’s the ideal situation for us.
“Now how does that fit in terms of position specificity? That’s what it comes down to in terms of figuring that out over the course of the spring, but the more that guys can do, the more roles, the more value that they have.”
Most likely, though, Ohio State won’t know exactly what its starting offensive line will look like this season until some point in August. Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere are locked in as the starting offensive tackles, but the interior offensive line competition will likely extend into the summer with Enokk Vimahi, Ryan Jacoby and Luke Wypler also among those who could factor into the battle for starting spots along with Johnson, Matthew Jones, Dawand Jones and Miller.
Ideally, Ohio State will come out of spring with at least seven or eight total offensive linemen who it’s confident can start as needed this year, which would give the Buckeyes reason to feel good about their depth.
“We’ve gotta find the best five, and in my opinion, we always need eight. You need a third tackle you can win with … you need a third guard you can win with, and you need that second center. And maybe that guard and center is the same guy. So we need seven or eight,” Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said Friday. “The key would be in time, though, who’s the best five? I don’t know if that shakes out until the middle of the preseason, to tell you the truth. But very talented, very athletic. Maybe the most competitive group on offense right now.”
That means the Buckeyes will likely be experimenting with various combinations of starters on the interior offensive line this spring to try to start figuring out who its best five offensive linemen will be in 2021. But it’s unlikely the Buckeyes will make any final decisions until Miller is healthy and they’re able to see how all of their offensive linemen perform in preseason camp, as well.
“We talk really about how the spring is about getting guys better individually, and then as we head in towards the beginning of the summer and then towards preseason, that’s when we want to start bringing the units together and the team together and get some chemistry that way,” Day said. “We will do a little bit more scrimmage-type team work toward the end of spring. But right now, it’s just all about getting guys better. So we’re gonna roll guys in and out and work different combinations.”
