Ian Moore gave Ohio State exactly what it needed in fall camp, and that matters more than ever for the Buckeyes’ offensive line plans.
The big question coming into camp was simple: could Moore hold up at left tackle well enough to let Tyler Bowen settle on Plan A for 2026? The answer, based on the reports coming out of camp, looks like yes.
Moore has reportedly held his own against Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Beau Atkinson, which is no small thing for a player trying to lock down the blind side. That kind of showing gives Ohio State a much cleaner path forward, especially with Austin Siereveld better suited inside at guard and Luke Montgomery already established at left guard.
Moore was good in the spring, but fall camp was always going to be the real test. Ohio State needed to know whether he could remove any lingering doubt and keep Siereveld from having to play out of position.
From the sound of it, Moore has done that. He may not have been fully there yet in the Cotton Bowl Classic against Miami after stepping in for the injured Siereveld, but camp has painted a different picture: a starter who is settling in and raising his stock at a huge moment.
That progression fits the way Moore talked about his own development back in May. He made it clear he believed the best thing for him was going against Ohio State’s own defense every day.
"I mean, I don't really look at any of that. I think that we have the best defense in college football, and I believe that down to every fiber in my body.
So every time I go out against somebody else, I'm not worried about them. I'm worried about practice tomorrow because I'm about to go against (Kenyatta Jackson Jr.).
I'm about to go against Beau (Atkinson). I mean, we've got coaches out here that are telling them to do stuff that I've never seen before.
And you've just got to adjust every day,"
That mindset tracks with what Ohio State wants from a tackle in this spot. If Moore can keep building against that edge-rusher group, the Buckeyes don’t have to shuffle pieces around just to make the line work.
There’s still some moving parts behind him. Joshua Padilla had been in the mix before Moore took control at left tackle and Siereveld shifted inside. Padilla and Gabe VanSickle are expected to rotate in, but the early answer appears to be, from left to right, Moore, Montgomery, Carson Hinzman, Siereveld, and Phillip Daniels.
The line can change quickly, but Moore has done the one thing Ohio State asked for this offseason: he won the job at the most important spot.
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