Ohio State’s first fall camp practice offered an early look at the offensive line, and the biggest takeaway came fast: Austin Siereveld opened at right guard.
That’s the clearest clue yet to how the Buckeyes may sort out a front that has plenty of returning pieces, but still some unsettled spots. Four starters are back from last season, and the only starter not returning is Tegra Tshabola, who was essentially exiled. The real question has been where Siereveld fits after he started last year at left tackle.
On the first day of camp, the initial five looked like this: Siereveld at right guard, Ian Moore at left tackle, Carson Hinzman at center, Luke Montgomery at left guard and Phillip Daniels at right tackle. That was the first offensive line combination of the year.
Moore entered camp after a strong spring and had been pushing for the left tackle job. Siereveld also brings some inside experience, having played right guard during the 2024 national championship season. Another name to keep in the mix is Josh Padilla, who had been viewed as a possible challenger for the right guard spot.
Even with that opening lineup in place, nothing is locked in yet. This is only the first look, and Ohio State still has to settle on the group that gives Julian Sayin the best chance to stay protected - a major issue in the postseason.
Ryan Day said at Big Ten Media Day that he believes this is the deepest offensive line he has had since becoming head coach. Padilla could still factor into the rotation, and Gabe VanSickle could as well. Both struggled against Miami last season, which remains a concern as camp gets underway.
If this is the group that carries into the season, Ohio State has the look of one of the nation’s top offenses. The line would have the chance to both keep Sayin clean and create movement in the run game, and that combination would put the Buckeyes in position to score plenty of points.
Sayin has also been working on his scrambling, an area that was sorely lacking last season. After a spring focused on that part of his game, Ohio State feels better about the offense’s potential to be more explosive. That idea will get a major early test against Texas in Week 2.
The line isn’t the only offensive battle worth tracking. Ohio State still has to sort out its depth chart at wide receiver, including who will emerge as the second option opposite Jeremiah Smith. That answer matters too, because Smith is going to draw a ton of attention and help define how high this offense can climb.
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