Phillip Daniels arrived in Columbus after transferring from Minnesota in January 2024 with the modest expectation of providing depth and competition at tackle. Instead, he emerged after a productive summer and fall camp to win the right tackle job and start the season with the starting group.
His path wasn’t perfectly smooth, there were games with clear room for improvement, but by season’s end Daniels has given Ohio State a physical, competitive presence on the right side and a reliable option to
protect the edges in big moments.
Early jump and what he brought immediately
Daniels earned his way into the starting lineup by stacking a strong offseason with a level of quickness, physicality, and consistency that exceeded early expectations. His competitiveness throughout camp caught the staff’s attention, and by the end of August he had played his way into the opening-week starting unit, an impressive rise for a player who arrived as a solid but understated portal addition.
From the first game on, he showed the core traits Ohio State needed at right tackle. Sturdy hand placement, toughness in the run game, and enough mobility to manage edge rushers in space. His quick adjustment to the Buckeyes’ system provided stability for an offensive line that spent much of the offseason reshaping its personnel.
Midseason bumps and learning moments
Like many transfers thrust into a high-pressure Power Five starting job, Daniels had stretches where technique and consistency faltered. There were games in which the right side struggled at times to sustain blocks against the interior push or to finish on the second level, and the offensive line’s occasional blown assignments usually showed up on that right side.
Those moments were not unique to Daniels, Ohio State’s right side as a whole has had growing pains as the season progressed, and those moments help explain why Daniels’ film this fall is a true mixed bag. Stretches of physical, high-level play paired with correctable technical lapses.
Strong finish and postseason outlook
Importantly, Daniels’ form improved as the season closed. He produced one of his best showings in the rivalry win at Michigan, consistently finishing blocks on a drive that ground the Wolverines down and providing clean pockets on key passing sequences.
Against Indiana in the Big Ten title game he had a solid game and helped the Buckeyes protect the edge when it mattered. That upward trend really matters if Ohio State expects to be physical in the postseason, they need the right tackle to be steady and finishing the season out stronger than he started.
Daniels looks like the player who can do just that, giving the Buckeyes a trustworthy starting tackle for the playoffs.
The bigger picture: why Daniels matters to Ohio State
Beyond the individual plays, Daniels’ value is schematic. As the full-time starter at right tackle, he provides the stability and continuity an offensive line needs after integrating multiple transfers and new contributors.
His ability to hold up in both the run game and against edge pressure allows the Buckeyes to keep their playbook balanced and avoids the need to constantly protect his side with extra help. As the postseason approaches, Ohio State enters with a right tackle who has logged a full year of starter reps, corrected early-season mistakes, and is carrying clear upward momentum.
That blend of experience, toughness and late-season consistency is exactly what a championship caliber offense requires on the edge.
