Ohio State’s offensive line in its game against Michigan. Credit: Liam Ahern | Sports Photo Editor.
When Ohio State left the field at AT&T Stadium following its Cotton Bowl loss to Miami, the story of the defeat was clear. Protection.
By the time Carson Beck kneeled as the clock expired, he had not only led the Hurricanes to the second round of the College Football Playoffs and sent the Buckeyes home. He had done so almost untouched.
Julian Sayin, meanwhile, faced a season-high 22 pressures from the Hurricanes’ pass rush, which was ultimately the deciding factor for the Buckeyes’ season to come to a crashing end.
Whether due to injuries, poor blocking or facing projected first-round picks Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, Ohio State had to reassess where its unit stood in the spring.
With a blend of promising young talent and four starters returning, the Buckeyes’ offensive line is projected to be one of the top units in the country heading into the 2026-27 season.
“When you have a veteran offensive line, typically you’re able to adjust things quickly, and guys are able to sustain throughout a season,” head coach Ryan Day said. “We’re counting on these guys to continue to get better, but also having that experience count.”
When it comes to the trenches, experience is king.
The 2025 Indiana Hoosiers’ offensive line, composed of three juniors and two seniors, powered a 16-0 championship run while leading the Big Ten with 212.9 rushing yards per game.
This year, the Buckeyes follow a similar blueprint, returning four of their five starters – Phillip Daniels, Austin Siereveld, Carson Hinzman and Luke Montgomery – save for the lone departure of right guard Tegra Tshabola who transferred to Kentucky.
“When you see guys really step up and play really well in year four and five, it’s typically because of all those things, the number of reps, the accumulation of these games starts to show up,” Day said.
Many Buckeye offensive linemen can play both guard and tackle, a versatility few teams have in the transfer portal era.
Left tackle Siereveld, right tackle Daniels and guard Joshua Padilla all have experience playing at both tackle and guard, something that is valuable as the season progresses.
“We’ll try to find the best five the best we can,” Day said. “And all we can do is just keep practicing every day and evaluate what we have.”
With projected starting tackles Siereveld and Daniels sidelined in spring ball following “minor procedures” and not expected back until summer workouts, Ohio State’s offensive line depth will be tested.
Redshirt freshman Carter Lowe and redshirt sophomore Ian Moore are expected to take on larger roles this spring, competing for playing time as the Buckeyes search for their best five linemen.
“Not only are they playing for depth, but they’re playing for starting positions, everything is on the board,” Day said. “The more guys we have that can play, the more we’re going to put them into the game.”
And as spring ball comes to an end and the season approaches, the unit is playing with a “pissed off” mentality, fueled by a standard it knows it failed to meet in Dallas.
“I think this season is going to be a great opportunity to kind of show what we have, maybe rewrite some of our wrongs we had this last year,” Hinzman said.
