Ohio State football coach Ryan Day is closing in on a final decision for the starting offensive line ahead of the last week of preseason training camp.
Day said the players receiving the majority of first-team reps throughout camp have been Phillip Daniels (right tackle), Carson Hinzman (center), Luke Montgomery (left guard), Ian Moore (left tackle), and Austin Siereveld (right guard), and that group is likely to make up the starting offensive line.
"We'll see how it continues to work out; it's sort of trending in that direction," Day said. "Good news is, we feel like we have more depth there than we've probably had in a long time. So, that's been definitely a positive."
Day mentioned that at least four other offensive linemen have worked with
the first team, including Joshua Padilla and Gabe VanSickle, both starters from the loss to Miami in the College Football Playoffs last year.
The Buckeyes entered the preseason with one open spot up front, due to right guard Tegra Tshabola's transfer to Kentucky.
Moore became a front-runner to fill that hole with his performance off the bench against the Hurricanes.
"He's always been athletic, strong in the weight room," Day said. "Great mentality, intelligent. And for offensive linemen, a lot of it is just experience. ... Usually in that third year, you have to grow on your own, and that's what he's doing right now, playing with a lot of confidence."
While Day had aimed to finalize the starting offensive line within the first two weeks of camp, Siereveld suffered an unspecified injury and missed multiple practices during the second week, delaying the decision.
Siereveld has been a crucial factor in determining the starting five, as he slides over to right guard when Moore is with the first team. Siereveld is moved back to left tackle when players such as Padilla take first-team snaps.
"We think he's probably an NFL guard who can play tackle as well, a swing player," Day said. "But when you look at Luke, Carson and Austin inside right there, that's a lot of beef in there. So, it certainly has given us a lot of reason to like that, as long as the tackle play is really good, which so far, it has been."
Last season, Siereveld started all 14 games at left tackle, but the two-time Buckeyes captain also has experience playing after starting seven games at left guard in 2024.
bmackay@dispatch.com
@brimackay15
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football nearing decision for starting offensive line
