Life came at Luke Montgomery quickly in his second season for the Buckeyes.
Thought to be a contender in spring of 2024 for Ohio State’s starting right guard job, Tegra Tshabola, Austin Siereveld and Carson Hinzman all ultimately got chances to start at guard before he did. Then, come time for the College Football Playoff, with Josh Simmons and Seth McLaughlin both out with season-ending injuries, Montgomery gave the team a boost by rotating with Siereveld and Tshabola.
By the CFP semifinals against Texas, he had won the Buckeyes’ starting left guard job full-time.
“Honestly, I felt good,” Montgomery said in April of being thrown into the fire. “Just go out and play. I didn't really blink. I didn't have to because, like I said, I think playing the best defense day in and day out and then obviously just taking that next step with all the time that we had in that playoff era where we didn't have school and stuff like that. So I was really here all the time, just making sure I knew what I was doing so I could just go out and play.”
The frontrunner to start at left guard for Ohio State all season now that he’s a junior, Montgomery attacked the months of March and April and is trying to grow his leadership as he aims to be an anchor of the offensive line in 2025.
“Just physicality,” new offensive line coach Tyler Bowen said of what he saw from Montgomery this spring. “I think he's working hard at that part of his game. The ability to win the first touch in pass pro, how he's trying to approach it. And then also starting to see a little leadership from him, we gotta continue growing in that regard in the room in general, him and those leaders up front. But I think Luke's done a great job. He's been very focused this spring.”
Future stalwart status seemed predestined for Montgomery since he committed to Ohio State as a lifelong fan of the program from Findlay, Ohio. He was one of the highest-rated recruits of former offensive line coach Justin Frye’s entire three-year tenure, a four-star recruit ranked the No. 92 overall prospect and No. 3 interior offensive lineman in the 247Sports composite for the class of 2023.
Buckeye fans who weren’t on notice took some in short order during Montgomery’s first big-time action in the first round of the CFP. An Orlando Pace-style pancake paved the way for a 30-yard touchdown rumble from TreVeyon Henderson, putting Ohio State ahead 21-0 in the first quarter.
Luke Montgomery HOLY COW pic.twitter.com/xS86qYc4O9
— Anand Nanduri (@NanduriNFL) December 22, 2024
The success of that play and his CFP run in general felt like a long time coming for Montgomery, at least as an outsider. He said it was important to rely on his faith and be patient.
“It's a process here,” Montgomery said. “As much as you want to say something different, like being an Ohio State Buckeye – the majority of the people that aren’t freaks like JJ (Smith), it takes time. You're good, but it takes time; you’re learning with other guys. You've got to learn the technique. You've got to learn the offensive scheme. Everyone's time is different and that's what I've learned here. You've got to enjoy the process because it's your story, not anyone else's.”
Montgomery is one of the core four offensive linemen who return to the 2025 team with multiple CFP starts under their belts, joining Tshabola, Siereveld and Hinzman. They’ve set the foundation for a front five that could be a top strength for Ohio State this year.
“We're still a work in progress to figure out who the (starting) five are, but I've been impressed with the depth, the experiences that they've had,” Bowen said. “There's a lot of guys that have experienced a lot of football, a lot of different fronts, a lot of different looks. And they can draw back on those experiences, so you see that in practice.”
Ohio State’s offensive line braintrust of Bowen, assistant OL coaches Charlie Dickey and Marcus Johnson and quality control coach Austin Fields were a massive boost to Montgomery’s development in his third spring practice, he felt.
“Having four guys is amazing because it's almost like you have four offensive line coaches,” Montgomery said. “At the end of the day, you have five people on the line every time. For one guy to be able to watch every play in and out of the huddle and stuff like that, that's hard to do. You're never going to be able to just look at all five and critique them and stuff like that. It's just good having all four of them here because there's a set of eyes on one or two guys every time from each guy. They're able to critique each and every play.”
An emphasis from those coaches, especially with Ohio State’s veterans this spring, was cross-training. Montgomery took snaps at center for portions of last preseason camp. He resumed those efforts this spring, providing the Buckeyes an extra option at the position beyond Hinzman and redshirt sophomore Joshua Padilla.
Montgomery said he feels “comfortable” at center if he’s needed to play there, though the plan is still to have him compete at guard primarily.
“For your older guys, tackles need to be in a position to play both tackle (positions),” Bowen said. “Guards need to be in a position to bump around. We've got guards that take snaps at center. So that just builds depth throughout your room. If you're in a position where you get down to a third center, you've got guys that have worked at it and snapped it. So you're always trying to create that in the room.”
With new offensive tackles, a new quarterback and a new running back tandem set to take the field for Ohio State’s offense in 2025, the Buckeyes will want to rely on their interior offensive line to set the tone and bring experience to the table. Montgomery could be one of its cornerstones – and expects the unit to drive the show.
“No doubt,” Montgomery said. “We have a motto of, we only go as far as our O-line goes. That's true to the offense. We're only going to go as far as we want to go. And obviously with that, you have to find the voice and be the true leaders of the front. You've got to be able to control things. … We all have to be one up there.”
