Ohio State center Victor Cutler Jr. first to shed black stripe in training camp
COLUMBUS — Ohio State center Victor Cutler Jr., a grad transfer from Louisiana-Monroe, became the first Buckeyes player to shed his black stripe in training camp this year, the program announced Thursday.
Cutler has gained five pounds since spring ball and now stands 6-foot-3, 300 pounds. The improvements he’s made physically now have him in position to compete for the starting center job.
“I think a full offseason in our program,” head coach Ryan Day said, when explaining how Cutler has made that jump. “I think he’s changed his body. I think he understands what we’re trying to do now and the resources that we have here. So he’s a different looking body than he was in the spring.”
Day noted: “I think that competition has heated up between Vic and Carson [Hinzman] right now.”
Hinzman appeared to have the lead on the starting gig in spring, but Cutler has pulled himself back into the race, seemingly surpassing fellow veteran Jakob James — who was sidelined during spring ball — in the process.
Cutler was the first of two offensive linemen the Buckeyes brought in through the transfer portal this offseason. He started a total of 21 games at center, right tackle and left tackle over the last three seasons at ULM.
He’s been playing inside, and mostly at center, since arriving at Ohio State. In the spring game, he served as the second-team center while Hinzman was at the heart of the first-team O-Line.
Both are vying to replace two-year starter Luke Wypler, a sixth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in this year’s NFL Draft.
Victor Cutler Jr. loses black stripe in second week of training camp
Sophomore offensive linemen George Fitzpatrick and Tegra Tshabola lost their black stripes the second week of this year’s spring practice, along with Ole Miss transfer cornerback Davison Igbinosun and true freshman wide receiver Carnell Tate. Oregon State transfer quarterback Tristan Gebbia and senior walk-on offensive lineman Quinton Burke shed their black stripes later in spring ball. And so did true freshman safety Malik Hartford and true freshman tight end Jelani Thurman. Joining Igbinosun and Gebbia, Cutler is the third Ohio State transfer addition to ditch his black stripe this year.
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