Luke Montgomery enters his senior season at Ohio State with a lot on the line, and a lot still to prove.
The Findlay native has already logged 16 starts for the Buckeyes over the last two seasons, becoming the anchor of a veteran offensive line that helped power Ohio State’s 2024 College Football Playoff run and national title. Montgomery played 180 snaps in that postseason push and made his first two career starts as the Buckeyes kept rolling. Last season, he settled in as the full-time left guard and started 14 games there.
For most of the 2025 regular season, he was as steady as they come. Pro Football Focus credited Montgomery with not allowing a sack through 12 games.
But the finish left a mark. Ohio State gave up 10 sacks in losses to Indiana and Miami, and three of those were charged to Montgomery.
The Buckeyes fell short of back-to-back national championships, and Montgomery’s only individual honor from the year was Second Team All-Big Ten.
That rough ending could have pushed him toward the 2026 NFL Draft, and the same was true for several teammates. Instead, Montgomery and the rest of the line came back with the same message: they wanted another shot.
Injuries helped shape the 2024 season for Montgomery and Austin Siereveld, too, and that didn’t derail the offense then. This time around, the group is back with a sour taste from how 2025 ended.
There’s also more at stake than just a bounce-back year. Montgomery wants Ohio State’s line to be recognized as the best in the country and win the Joe Moore Award.
He’s also on the preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy. The bigger picture is clear: help lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title and another national title, then head to the next level with his stock as high as possible.
Montgomery’s path to this point started in the 2023 recruiting class, when Ohio State landed the four-star prospect from Findlay. He appeared in seven games as a true freshman, then found his opening after the Michigan game in 2024 when the Buckeyes shuffled the line following the loss to the Wolverines. Since the Cotton Bowl win over Texas in the College Football Playoff, he has started every game.
What makes Montgomery especially appealing as the 2027 NFL Draft gets closer is the combination of athleticism and versatility. He played football in high school and could hold his own on the basketball court, and he has the size NFL teams want at 6-foot-5 and over 300 pounds.
He can also line up at any spot on the offensive line. During the offseason, he has added even more mass by turning some body fat into muscle.
Austin Siereveld is expected to be the first Ohio State offensive lineman taken in the 2027 draft, but Montgomery is viewed as a likely third-round pick at minimum. If he puts together another strong season, he could climb into the second round. There is also a chance he stays for a fifth year if he doesn’t like where his draft outlook sits.
For now, though, Ohio State gets one more season with a lineman who should be at the center of everything. Whether or not he wears a captain’s label, Montgomery is expected to be a loud presence in the room, pushing the starters and bringing along the younger guys behind them. After the way last season ended, he and the Buckeyes are carrying a chip on their shoulder, and this year’s tougher schedule should show early just how good they really are.
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Ohio State Fall Camp Is Heating Up Behind Two Key Starters
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Wests offseason has given him a real foothold, while Jackson still has time to make up ground before the job is settled. The same kind of competition is playing out at receiver, where Jeremiah Smith looks lined up for the top spot and the battle for No. 2 is taking shape among Brandon Inniss, Chris Henry Jr. and transfer McCuin. [Read more 🡒]