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Ohio State already had some success recently when they dipped into the transfer portal for an offensive lineman.
After starting 13 games at San Diego State as a freshman, Josh Simmons transferred to Ohio State prior to the 2023 season. Simmons would
become a starter at left tackle for the Buckeyes before suffering a knee injury in the middle of the 2024 season.
Despite missing the last half of the season, not only did Simmons earn Third Team All-Big Ten honors, he would go on to be drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now Ohio State is hoping they have found another tackle in the transfer portal who can go on to be a starter on the offensive line. Back in December, Rice offensive tackle Ethan Onianwa announced that he would be closing out his college career in Columbus. After spending four years at Rice, the massive tackle is hoping that by joining one of the best programs in the country he can improve his draft stock in his final season of college football.
The first thing that jumps out about Onianwa is his size. Standing 6-foot-7 and weighing over 300 pounds, Onianwa has the size that has NFL scouts drooling. After weighing over 350 pounds during his time at Rice, time with the Buckeye strength and conditioning program have helped Onianwa cut 20 pounds, which should help the Texas native get even better.
While Onianwa is still an imposing figure, trimming some weight will help him be even more agile this season.
Onianwa was part of Rice’s 2021 recruiting class, appearing in three games before using his redshirt. After spending most of his first season in college on the sidelines, Onianwa became a fixture on the offensive line of the Owls. Over the next three seasons, Onianwa would appear in 37 games, starting in 34 of those contests.
Onianwa would start 25 straight games at right tackle in 2022 and 2023 before moving over to left tackle for the 2024 season, where he would start in all nine games he appeared in. What was most impressive about Onianwa’s performance last season is he didn’t allow a sack when he was healthy enough to be on the field.
Because of how he has improved throughout his college career, along with the potential for even more growth now that he is playing for the defending national champions, Onianwa is garnering some buzz as a potential first round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Despite being talked about as the best offensive lineman in the transfer portal, a starting spot on the line isn’t just going to be handed to Onianwa.
Earlier in the offseason, it sounded like the plan was to start Onianwa at left tackle. Austin Siereveld threw a wrench into those plans, as he has impressed enough to wrestle the job away from Onianwa. Luckily for Onianwa he also has experience at right tackle, where it sounds like he will battle Minnesota transfer Phillip Daniels for playing time.
No matter what happens with the battle between Onianwa and Daniels for the right tackle spot, the college football season is longer than ever now.
Last year Siereveld was an afterthought heading into the season before becoming a key part of the Buckeye offensive line because of a number of injuries his linemates suffered throughout the year. Luke Montgomery only played 77 snaps during the regular season before seeing increased work in the College Football Playoff, starting the final two games for Ohio State at left guard.
For Onianwa, there are a number of factors why he hasn’t quite yet been named a starter. Not only is he taking a couple steps up when it comes to competition from what he saw at Rice, he also might be still trying to get used to playing 20 pounds lighter.
The athletic gifts are still there, it might just be taking him a little more time than some were anticipating for him to put it all together. Once he steps on the field in the regular season for the scarlet and gray, people will understand why he was looked at as the top offensive lineman in the transfer portal.
