Ohio State made the trenches a clear priority this offseason, and the Buckeyes backed it up with action on both sides of the ball.
Head coach Ryan Day and his staff didn’t wait around once they identified the roster’s soft spot. They moved quickly to shore up the line of scrimmage, adding help through the transfer portal for immediate depth and leaning hard into high school recruiting for what comes next.
Up front on defense, the portal additions are expected to matter right away. Qua Russaw, James Smith, and John Walker from UCF were brought in with the expectation that they can step in and make an impact from day one.
The bigger splash came in recruiting. On Monday, Ohio State officially signed five-star defensive lineman Markus Fakatou, pairing him with five-star defensive end DJ Jacobs and four-star edge rusher Wyatt Smith from St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale.
The offensive line got a major investment as well. Ohio State returns four of five starters from last season, giving the unit a strong foundation.
Austin Siereveld is set to play either left tackle or right guard, depending on which young player wins the job in fall camp. Luke Montgomery is penciled in at left guard, Carson Hinzman is expected to be one of the best centers in college football next year, and Phillip Daniels will handle right tackle.
That leaves only one opening to settle, and the hope is that Ohio State finds the answer early enough in camp to start building chemistry across the group.
The future is being addressed too. The Buckeyes have already signed six offensive linemen in the 2027 recruiting class, a sign that the staff is planning well beyond the current season.
That long view matters because this veteran group won’t be around forever. At least four spots are expected to open next year when this core heads to the NFL, so the current backups and the incoming young linemen will need to take a big step forward now.
Ohio State knew where it had fallen short. In both of its losses, the Buckeyes were beaten at the line of scrimmage, and that proved costly. This offseason was about making sure that doesn’t happen again, and the way they attacked the trenches suggests they got the message across.
In Other News...
Ohio State May Already Have Its Next Quarterback Pipeline Target
Ohio States quarterback room is already looking well stocked for the present, but the Buckeyes are also doing the kind of long-range work that can shape a future depth chart years in advance. One name that fits that profile is Christopher Vargas, a 2028 quarterback prospect who recently made the trip to campus and came away with an offer from Ohio State, a clear sign that the staff likes where this one could go.
Vargas is still early in his high school career, but the Buckeyes have seen enough to stay involved as his profile rises. He has already shown production as a first-year starter at St. Johns Prep School, and his background as a multi-sport athlete only adds to the appeal. The next question for Ohio State is whether the program can keep building on that early connection as the quarterback chase starts to take shape around him. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Sent A Clear Message In The Portal Debate
Ryan Day has spent the offseason making it clear that Ohio State is not standing still, reshaping the staff around both present-day urgency and the changing realities of roster building. After bringing in Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator and keeping Matt Patricia in place as defensive coordinator, the Buckeyes have now added another layer to the operation with a new college scout whose job will center on evaluating talent as the program keeps adapting to the Transfer Portal era.
The move is notable not just for what it adds, but for when it arrives, with practice closing in and roster decisions still very much in motion. Andy Howells arrival gives Ohio State another evaluator in a process that has become as important as high school recruiting, and his work is expected to matter most next offseason as the Buckeyes continue shaping how they build around portal players. [Read more 🡒]
Jamier Brown Finally Opened Up About His Unusual High School Move
Jamier Browns move from Huber Heights Wayne to Big Walnut has drawn plenty of attention, and the five-star receiver finally shed some light on why he made the switch. The Class of 2027 standout has already been one of the most watched names in Ohio football, and his decision came after he made clear he wanted to be closer to the college he has already committed to in Columbus. It is an unusual step for a high school player, but Brown has never been shy about thinking beyond the usual boundaries of prep football.
Browns profile has grown even bigger because of his outspoken push for legal NIL compensation for Ohio high school athletes, a cause he helped elevate as the OHSAA weighed an emergency referendum. With legislative opposition still lingering for now, the debate around whether middle and high school athletes should be able to earn money remains unsettled, even if early signs point toward support ultimately winning out. For Brown, the transfer and the NIL fight both speak to the same bigger picture: a high school star trying to shape his path before he ever gets to Ohio State. [Read more 🡒]