Ohio State’s offensive line is earning strong early reviews in camp, and one of the Buckeyes’ most important defenders says the difference from a year ago is obvious.
Kenyatta Jackson, who goes against that unit every day, didn’t leave much room for doubt when asked about the group’s progress. “From last year to this year, it is night and day.
I believe that last year (was) their first time being together. Now they've got that year under their belt.
They are older, more mature. It's different...
I don't know what Coach Bowen and Coach Day is doing in that O-Line room, but it is working.”
That kind of feedback matters because Jackson sees the line from the defense’s side every practice. He’ll keep lining up against them over the next five months, but for now the early buzz suggests Ohio State has a much sturdier front than the one that finished the 2025 season.
That mattered last year. The Buckeyes stayed healthy along the offensive line for most of the season, but when the biggest games arrived, they got pushed around. Indiana and Miami both won the battle up front, and that ended up shaping how Ohio State’s season closed.
Now the Buckeyes enter 2026 with four starters back from that group and, by the sound of it, a unit carrying plenty of motivation after the way things ended.
If Ohio State is going to look like the team it expects to be, the line has to drive it. Jeremiah Smith gives the Buckeyes one of the best skill-position threats in the country, and maybe the best player in the country. But even that kind of talent can only do so much if the pocket keeps breaking down.
The same goes for Julian Sayin. A dependable run game would make life much easier for him, and that’s where Ohio State ran into trouble when it mattered most last season. The rushing attack was strong overall, but it wasn’t good enough against the best teams, and once the ground game stalled, everything else got tougher for the Buckeyes.
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