Lettermen Row member mailbag: Offensive Line Week questions answered
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It’s time for an Offensive Line Week mailbag!
COLUMBUS — We asked the Lettermen Row members for their best Offensive Line Week questions, and now we’re answering some of them in an offseason Ohio State mailbag.
Let’s check what questions we received and get them answered.
not a charger asks…
Is Hinzman going to see much playing time, barring injuries?
He should. Even if he doesn’t win the starting right guard job, Carson Hinzman could very well be the first offensive lineman off the bench — because he can play guard and center. He’ll be a key member of the second-team offensive line unit and could be in line to start at either center or guard in 2025. Of course, he’s not even close to out of the race for a starting guard spot.
I’d expect Hinzman to be a pivotal piece of Justin Frye’s plans now and into the future. Even if the Buckeyes stay healthy along the line this fall, you’ll see plenty of Carson Hinzman — if he’s not a starter.
Corybuckeye asks…
Weaknesses? What do you think it ultimately looks like
Good question. I think the weakness of this group could be different for the interior than it is the tackles.
As for the tackles, Simmons and Fryar have both cut down on their body fat and are much more athletic than they were a year ago. Does that create problems when it comes to blocking powerful edge rushers at Penn State, Michigan and Oregon? Simmons could be good against quicker pass-rushers because he sees them in practice at Ohio State.
And the interior? If Seth McLaughlin has early-season snapping woes, that will be a weakness. Chemistry between the new right guard and the guys lining up with him could be a problem, as well. Good thing the Buckeyes have the easy nonconference slate to make sure that’s buttoned up.
I really do expect Ohio State to have a good offensive line group this year. Not a group that just gets by and then struggles against great defensive lines. Ohio State should be good on the offensive line this fall. That’s the expectation.
not a charger asks…
Is the staff disappointed that no one has siezed the RG position?
Absolutely not. I might even argue the opposite.
Ohio State is thrilled with the competition right now. It has brought out a new Tegra Tshabola, as Lettermen Row wrote about in spring ball. It has helped Carson Hinzman hone a craft at a new position and potentially thrive. And it’s given Luke Montgomery a shot to prove he belongs on the field quite early in his college career.
Mix all of that in with the fact that Josh Fryar could play his way into this right guard competition — if one of the Buckeyes other tackles makes a massive jump this summer — and it should be a good month of training camp for the development of the offensive line, from the first-team unit all the way to the depth that has been missing for years in this room.
One top Lettermen Row source made sure to mention earlier this month that Ohio State should have its deepest offensive line under Frye, which isn’t the highest bar to clear, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction. With three Buckeyes battling for one guard spot, Ohio State knows it’ll have at least two pretty good runners-up on the bench if they’re needed.
Doctor Buckeye asks…
Of the players in our current OL room, which player(s) is/are most likely to surprise at the next level – a la Taylor Decker and Jonah Jackson?
Give me Austin Siereveld. I think he’s got the right build to become a future star on the interior of the Ohio State offensive line. Ohio State raved about him last offseason — his first with the program. He reportedly took a step forward again this spring and is putting together a good summer. He’s not ready yet, but he’ll surprise some folks next offseason and potentially play his way into conversations for the NFL.
Obviously there are plenty of other answers. I believe Josh Simmons will be at least a decent pro. Same thing with Montgomery, McLaughlin, Tshabola and others. But if there’s a guy we’re not talking about right now that we will be in the future, I’ll take Siereveld.
drew_berger asks…
Will the staff use the portal more in future windows or continue with this weird insistence that no one available is OSU quality (even when that quality standard is lower than it’s been in recent history and our rivals are consistently using the portal to plug holes — and find starters — effectively)
I was right there with the staff in believing that the spring transfer portal window produced nothing of Ohio State quality along the offensive line.
The Buckeyes looked in the portal and were more than willing to take a transfer addition on the offensive line — and nothing materialized.
“Just like in January, if we’re going to bring somebody in, it’s to fill a hole,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Tuesday. “We’re not just going to bring somebody in to bring somebody in. Like at all positions, we’ll always look to see what’s out there. We did evaluate some of the guys that were out there. We felt like coming out of it as we evaluated it, there were a couple guys that checked on but, but ultimately, based on where we were and some of the young guys that are coming up, we felt like we saw some progress in the offensive line of the spring. There weren’t as many folks in the portal after the spring. So we looked at it, we identified, we did our due diligence. But, you know, we’re going to go with what we have now.”
If Ohio State saw good options in the portal, it would have went out and worked to land an offensive lineman. The Buckeyes did it in 2023 with Josh Simmons and again this winter with Seth McLaughlin.
They’ll do it again when they feel they can upgrade or fill a hole. That time was not this spring.
Ohio7715 asks…
Cool ranch, spicy nacho, sweet chilli or regular nacho?
We don’t get many non-football questions, but I will always answer them — as long as they’re within reason.
Give me cool ranch all day, every day. And twice on Sunday. Doritos of all kinds are fantastic. Cool ranch is in a category of its own, though.
The post Lettermen Row member mailbag: Offensive Line Week questions answered appeared first on On3.
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