It’s hard to argue that Ohio State’s unsung hero of the 2024 season wasn’t Donovan Jackson.
The Buckeyes’ offensive line suffered a major blow when Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending injury against Oregon, then backup Zen Michalski was injured one game later against Nebraska.
With OSU’s season at a crucial point with a daunting road matchup looming against Penn State, former Buckeyes offensive line coach Justin Frye had a frank conversation with the offensive line anchor. Throughout the season, Frye would commonly rib Jackson and jokingly suggest he was going to play offensive tackle, to which Jackson would laugh and retort “No, I’m not.” But this time, the conversation had a serious tone.
“When the conversation finally came, he said ‘We need you to kick out to tackle because it’s a big week and we’re playing a big team,’ so it was a lot to think about,” Jackson said Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “He weighed the pros and cons of the decision but at the end of the day, I just like winning more than anything else and I felt like if me moving outside would help us win, I knew I had a lot of work to do. I’d go against two amazing edge rushers every day in practice so I’d have no choice but to get better.”
Jackson drew a tough assignment for his first career start at offensive tackle, as he was tasked with blocking Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter, who could very well be the No. 1 overall pick in April and at worst will be a top-five pick. Though Jackson held up more than formidably against Carter in run blocking in Happy Valley, pass blocking was a tough go, as Carter recorded two sacks. But in the end, Ohio State pulled out a one-possession win, with his offensive line ensuring the Buckeyes ran out the final five minutes of game time.
Not many edge rushers after Carter had much success against Jackson the rest of the way. Jackson was arguably the Buckeyes’ best offensive lineman the rest of the season, as he stonewalled the talented pass rushers he was tasked with blocking in the College Football Playoffs, including multiple early-round NFL draft prospects such as Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. and Oregon’s Jordan Burch.
Though Jackson made the switch for selfless reasons, it didn’t go unnoticed by pro scouts. His effectiveness on the outside has bolstered his draft stock, with many mock drafts forecasting that Jackson will be a late first-round pick in April. He should be off the board no later than the middle of the second round.
“I'm very grateful for the experience,” Jackson said of finishing the season at offensive tackle. “Unfortunately the way I got it (Simmons getting hurt) wasn't the way I wanted it to go. We had fantastic guys that were playing the position (before me), but at Ohio State we always say competitive excellence, so you gotta make the play when your number’s called. So when my number was called to play tackle, I went into it with the best mentality I could. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it to the best of my ability, showing off my versatility a little bit, showing that I can play anywhere on the line so I'm grateful for the experience.”
Most NFL teams that met with Jackson throughout the week told him they still envision him playing guard at the next level, but they were impressed with his willingness and effectiveness playing out of position to help his team. Jackson said he met with around 15 teams at the combine, including the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals.
When asked his position preference between guard and tackle, Jackson simply smiled and responded “I like playing offensive line.” Assuming he slides back to guard for whichever team drafts him, Jackson says he’ll bring refined hand usage and space awareness back to that position, both aspects he improved while playing outside.
Donovan Jackson wave drill pic.twitter.com/r09FUG5ftZ
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 2, 2025
Soon, Jackson will don a new uniform and begin his professional career. But he’ll always reflect fondly on how changing positions midseason helped the Buckeyes win a national championship.
“Being a Buckeye meant everything to me,” Jackson said. “Growing up in Texas, there are two major teams in Texas, but my mom’s a huge Ohio State fan. She always said ‘Nah, you’re a Buckeye’ and I’d always say ‘OK, Mom.’ But it eventually came time to make a college decision and I chose Ohio State. The scarlet and gray mean everything to me.
“The university, the state, the guys I played with, I bled with, sweated with, cried with, it means everything. It’s so deep ingrained into my heart that my time at Ohio State was a huge developmental factor into who I am today.”
