Tegra Tshabola sheds black stripe for Buckeyes

COLUMBUS — Second-year offensive lineman Tegra Tshabola is in the middle of a battle to become the next starting right tackle for Ohio State.

He took a massive first step in achieving that reachable goal Thursday after Buckeyes practice; he became the latest member of the 2022 recruiting class to shed his black stripe. Tshabola officially became a part of the Buckeyes football program by having the stripe ceremoniously removed during a team activity.

Tshabola didn’t arrive until the summer last year as part of the talented 2022 recruiting class for the Buckeyes, but he immediately went to work at a guard position while watching childhood friend and Ohio State All-American Paris Johnson Jr. dominate at left tackle.

Tshabola is unlikely to be the left tackle this season like Johnson was last year for the Buckeyes. But he is using Johnson as a motivating factor as he works for a role in the starting five for Ohio State.

“I’ve been around Paris since we were little kids, played on the same little league team,” Tshabola said Thursday. “So just seeing him do the amazing things he’s done, the amazing things he’s done for his family, for us. I mean, it’s a big motivator to want to improve and better myself.”

Tshabola is on his way to doing that as he battles with third-year offensive lineman Zen Michalski for the vacant right tackle job this spring.

A big part of that process is now in the rearview mirror. Tshabola had his black stripe removed this week. Now he can focus on winning a starting offensive line job at Ohio State.

Tegra Tshabola joins other Ohio State freshmen to lose black stripes

Quarterback Devin Brown, defensive lineman Hero Kanu, defensive back Ryan Turner, wide receiver Kojo Antwi, wide receiver Kaleb Brown, defensive end Kenyatta Jackson, cornerback Jyaire Brown, linebacker C.J. Hicks, tailback Dallan Hayden and wide receiver Kyion Grayes were all freshmen who shed their stripe during camp. Freshman safety Sonny Styles, who reclassified from the class of 2023 into the class of 2022, shed his black stripe just before the season began.

Defensive end Caden Curry and safety Kye Stokes lost their black stripes all the way back during spring practice last year when they were early enrollees.

Offensive lineman Carson Hinzman, defensive end Omari Abor, tight end Bennett Christian, Caleb Burton and Gabe Powers shed their black stripe in bowl practice.