Ohio State will have a new right guard for at least the start of the College Football Playoff.
Tegra Tshabola, who has started every game for Ohio State at right guard since the start of the 2024 season, will be out for at least the Buckeyes’ CFP quarterfinal game against Miami due to injury, Ryan Day said Monday.
Tshabola left Ohio State’s Big Ten Championship Game loss to Indiana after the opening drive of the third quarter and did not return. Day did not specify what Tshabola’s injury was, but a source told Eleven Warriors that Tshabola underwent surgery after the Big Ten Championship Game. Day said Tshabola will be out “for a few weeks at least,” putting his availability for the entire CFP in question.
Tshabola was replaced in the Big Ten Championship Game by Gabe VanSickle, who will now likely be in line to start at RG in the CFP. Day said Monday that Joshua Padilla, who rotated with Tshabola at RG earlier in the season before suffering an injury against Penn State, could also see playing time at RG against Miami.
While Tshabola started all of Ohio State’s first 13 games this season at right guard – and all 16 of Ohio State’s games last season – his starting job might have been in jeopardy for the CFP even if he was healthy. Tshabola was the weak link of Ohio State’s offensive line all season, and he was rotated out of the game for at least one series – with Ethan Onianwa, Padilla and VanSickle all getting opportunities to play in his place – in every game except Ohio State’s win over Michigan.
None of those players usurped Tshabola on the depth chart during the regular season, but now, Ohio State will need at least one of them to step up in the CFP for its offensive line to get back on track after struggling vs. the Hoosiers.
