Buckeyes left out of On3 list of top offensive line units
COLUMBUS — At this time last year, it was quite clear that the Ohio State offensive line was a point of concern heading into the summer.
A year later, the Buckeyes return four starters from last year’s unit — a group that was good at times and bad at times. Left tackle Josh Simmons, a transfer from San Diego State following last spring, is an incumbent. Left guard Donovan Jackson returns for his third year as a starter. Right tackle Josh Fryar is back for another year, and so is center Carson Hinzman — and he may not even win the starting center battle. Ohio State also went out and landed former Alabama starting center Seth McLaughlin from the transfer portal in the winter, bolstering the line.
This much-improved Buckeyes unit has plenty of experience and even some glimmers of depth that will help them this fall. The folks at On3 are starting to come around on the idea that Ohio State could have a good offensive line unit this fall. On3 national writer Jesse Simonton is noticing, as he ranked the top 10 offensive line units in college football, and the Buckeyes barely missed the cut.
They’re in Simonton’s ‘Best of the Rest’ category, just missing the top 10. LSU, Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma State were in Simonton’s top five. Oregon, Missouri, Miami, Tennessee and Ole Miss rounded out the top 10 in the offensive line rankings.
Ohio State could improve to get into that top 10 as the offseason continues.
This continues the showing that Ohio State should have one of the best — if not the best — offenses in the sport this upcoming fall. Simonton recently ranked the Ohio State quarterback room as the second-best in the country, behind only Texas, and he ranked the Buckeyes tailback room as the No. 1 unit in the country.
He also made sure to rank the Ohio State wide receiver unit as the top group in college football, as well.
None of this should come as a surprise. But as the season continues to draw closer, the buzz keeps growing for this Ohio State team that could be the No. 1 team in the country when preseason polls begin leaking out.
The Ohio State offensive line will help determine how elite the Buckeyes will be on offense this year. And despite missing the top-10 ranking, they were close to cracking it. And they can make their way into that top 10 as the season looms and they keep improving this offseason.
