Austin Siereveld will make his first career start in his second season with the Buckeyes.
The No. 300 overall prospect in the 2023 class, Siereveld was a backup offensive lineman for Ohio State last season. He will fulfill the same role for the Buckeyes in 2024 – but not on Saturday. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound guard will replace Donovan Jackson in the starting lineup as the two-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree recovers from an ailment suffered in the preseason.
Earlier this week, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day praised Siereveld for his development this offseason. Day said Siereveld had been one of several offensive linemen to benefit from extra reps in preseason camp after the position room dealt with both injuries and a "funky virus" in August.
"I think he's an example of someone who had an opportunity and really stepped into that opportunity and took it and ran," Day said. "It wasn't easy early on. I think the first week as he made that transition, being forced into a role blocking Ty Hamilton and Tyleik (Williams) and some of our guys up front, but he made that adjustment quickly. He got thrown into the fire. Because of that, he became a better player for it."
Siereveld will be thrown into the fire once again on Saturday as the redshirt freshman starts next to Josh Simmons, Alabama transfer Seth McLaughlin, Tegra Tshabola and Josh Fryar.
