Luke Montgomery’s freshman season unfurled in a way that many freshman seasons do, chock-full of learning and adjusting to both collegiate football and collegiate life.
“Freshman year, you don’t know until you know, you know what I’m saying,” Montgomery told Eleven Warriors on Saturday at The 1870 Society’s Open House at the Woody. “You think you know, but you don’t. So I learned a lot from the first year just being behind this guy Donovan (Jackson) out here and (Josh) Fryar and those guys.”
Montgomery knows what he wants now, though: A starting job along Ohio State’s offensive line. He’s willing to play anywhere in order to get it.
“Whatever gets me on the field the fastest, I couldn't care less,” Montgomery said. “I know I have the tangibles to play all five, and that’s a blessing as well. I’m just going to use that to the best of my ability to see where I can play.”
In the think of arguably the Buckeyes’ most important position battle this offseason –outside of quarterback, if that's not predestined to be won by Will Howard – along the right side of the front five, Montgomery is entering his sophomore season in Columbus with plenty of lessons taken from his freshman campaign.
“(He’s progressing) really well,” offensive line coach Justin Frye said. “When you come in mid-year like those guys did last year, you’re just learning how to keep your head above water. So, for his first real offseason, he’s been good. He’s up (in weight), but it’s not bad weight, the competition, all those things that have to develop with linemen, he’s had a really good offseason.”
Montgomery landed a backup offensive tackle role in his first season at Ohio State and served as a sixth offensive lineman in the team’s specialty “Bison” package. He played 44 snaps in total along the front five and saw some special teams duties for the field goal and extra point team.
“It helped me out a lot,” Montgomery said. “It was super exciting just getting on the field, playing here at Ohio State as a freshman, but I know I have a long way to go. Just kind of getting my feet wet a little bit, seeing the environments, the atmospheres to be able to play on a big stage like that. So, hopefully, that sets me up for this upcoming year.”
That said, Montgomery got worn down physically and mentally as the year ground onward.
Tegra Tshabola, one of the other players competing with Montgomery to fill the void left by Matt Jones on the right side of the line, replaced him as the team’s sixth offensive lineman for specialty packages at the tail end of the year. Tshabola played five snaps at the spot against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.
“The season is so much longer than high school, so you’ve gotta get used to that,” Montgomery said. “It took a toll on me the later the year went on. But I know what’s coming now, and I’m even more excited to get out there and partake in playing some good old football.”
"Whatever gets me on the field the fastest, I couldn't care less."– Luke Montgomery on his positional preference
Montgomery’s versatility makes him a candidate to start at either right tackle or right guard, the position Jones vacated. Josh Fryar started at right tackle in 2023 for Ohio State and returns in 2024, but he had issues against some of the faster speed rushers he faced and could slide inside to guard if it makes sense for the team. Enokk Vimahi, who started the Cotton Bowl at right guard as Jones slid to center for his final game, could also be a factor in the right-side rearrangement.
The bottom line, per Frye, is to get Ohio State’s five best offensive linemen on the field. Fryar is likely to be among those five, but whether it’s tackle or guard that’s being competed for beside him could be something dictated by the development of the players around him. The Buckeyes could also still add a transfer in the spring portal window if inclined.
Through it all, Montgomery is staying grounded.
“That’s just how I grew up,” Montgomery said. “Just being from Findlay (Ohio), the people that I’ve been around and obviously my parents. My parents are my number one fans, and they’ve helped me so much to get to where I’m at today and it’s so humbling because, on top of that, you’re going against Mitch Melton, JT (Tuimoloau), Jack (Sawyer), guys that are going to humble you really fast when you get here.”
Tuimoloau treated Montgomery to a memorable “Welcome to Ohio State” moment about a year ago during his first spring practice.
“The first padded practice, I can remember it like it was yesterday,” Montgomery said. “It was red zone period, we were going and I’m up against JT. It was my first or second play, first pass play, I know that. I set to him and I overset him, he spun me and I went into a spin cycle, I’m just sitting there like, ‘What the heck just happened?’ It was like, ‘Oh my gosh. Well, I’m here now. It’s time to roll. I just got obliterated by one of the best defensive ends in the country.”
Now that those lumps are behind him, the next step for Montgomery is fine-tuning himself physically and in his technique.
“Just driving off the ball blocking-wise,” Montgomery said. “Bigger guys in the three-tech (defensive tackle) world and even the (defensive) ends, those are bigger guys. Coming in I was about 290 (pounds), I’m weighing about 310 now. I’m getting up there in weight and that’s going to help my abilities this upcoming spring. I would say that and just the run blocking, gotta get used to that a little bit more.”
Frye will be looking for him to build confidence and take on the brunt of possibly being a full-time starter as he progresses through his second spring in the program with his first full winter workout under his belt.
“Just playing the game,” Frye said. “He played some last year in a few games, but being able to come in and play the game again. Essentially didn’t have a year off but had a year off. You go from being a senior that plays everything all the time everywhere and then you have a limited role. So getting back into being the guy that’s playing a lot, playing the game.”
Visit Eleven Warriors’ YouTube page to see all of our interviews from The 1870 Society’s Open House at the Woody, including interviews with the following players:
