Kenyatta Jackson Jr. didn’t need long to spot the difference up front.
After Ohio State practice on Aug. 20, the returning defensive end said the Buckeyes’ offensive line looks nothing like the group from a year ago, offering a blunt assessment of the unit’s offseason progress.
“It’s like night and day,” said Jackson in an interview with Big Ten Network after practice Thursday, “I believe last year was their first year together, and now they are older and more mature.”
That kind of praise matters because the offensive line was one of the biggest questions hanging over Ohio State heading into 2026. The concern grew louder after the Buckeyes’ 12-0 season ended with back-to-back losses in the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff, when Indiana and Miami combined to sack them 10 times.
For much of the regular season, though, the line held up well enough. Ohio State finished with a top-30 scoring offense and allowed only 6 sacks before those final two games exposed the group against elite fronts.
Continuity should help. Four of the five starters from last season are back, and junior Ian Moore is stepping in at left tackle. Moore has already drawn plenty of praise in camp for winning the job.
Jackson also noticed a different edge to the group.
“They’re more aggressive,” said Jackson, “I don’t know what Coach Bowen and Coach Day are doing in the o-line room, but it’s working.”
That added physicality could be especially important this season. Ryan Day’s team is staring at a demanding schedule that includes Texas, Iowa, Oregon, and Indiana, all of which bring serious defensive pressure.
The offensive plan is changing too. New coordinator Arthur Smith is bringing a different approach than the air raid looks Ohio State has leaned on in the past, with more emphasis on the run game and the opportunities it can create through the air.
Among the returners, Austin Siereveld and Luke Montgomery have already earned offseason recognition. On3 named Montgomery a preseason second-team All-American and Siereveld a third-team selection.
Ohio State will need that pair to anchor the line and help it become one of the best in the country, especially with the kind of defensive fronts waiting later on the schedule. The Buckeyes can’t afford a repeat of the struggles that showed up against strong defensive lines at the end of 2025.
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Former Michigan Star Just Fed Ohio State Fans A Matt Patricia Debate
Jake Butts stop at Ohio State practice offered Buckeyes fans a little extra perspective from an unlikely source. The former Michigan tight end, now a Big Ten Network analyst, came away impressed enough to say the 2026 Ohio State team still has the kind of talent to stay among the nations best, even with several key players gone to the draft and a defense that has to reload in a few spots.
The part that will get debated in Columbus is Butts read on Matt Patricia, because he tied the Buckeyes continued defensive success to the coordinators impact. For a program that measures everything against championship standards, that kind of praise from a former rival is one more sign that the expectation level remains high even as Ohio State turns the page to a new group. [Read more 🡒]
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McCuins camp momentum has given him a leg up on some of the younger receivers trying to climb the depth chart, even if nothing is settled yet. With playing time still up for grabs, his fit in the offense is worth watching because Ohio State could use a steady presence opposite Smith, especially if McCuin keeps showing the kind of consistency that has gotten him noticed so far. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States New Offense Could Make Julian Sayin Even Tougher To Stop
Ohio State is heading into the new season with a different kind of edge on offense, as Arthur Smith reportedly leans into a more controlled approach that could change the way the Buckeyes operate. The core up front remains largely intact, and with much of the offensive line and tight end depth back in place, there is a sense that the unit is being built to be steadier, cleaner and harder to disrupt from snap to snap.
Julian Sayin has already been part of the conversation around that shift, with the quarterback noting the offenses maturity as it takes shape. Kenyatta Jackson Jr. has seen the adjustments from the other side of the ball, and the early signs suggest Ohio State is trying to pair that stability with more efficiency. If the structure holds, Sayin may be asked to do less to make the offense dangerous, which is often when a quarterback becomes the toughest to stop. [Read more 🡒]