As Ohio State tries to build its offensive line toward better results in 2026, the Buckeyes will have their center back to steer the ship.
Carson Hinzman announced he'll return to Ohio State for his redshirt senior season on Wednesday, which will be his fourth and final year as a starter for the Buckeyes.
The move to return makes sense for Hinzman, who is currently projected as an undrafted free agent should he have declared for the 2026 NFL draft. Poor showings from the Buckeyes up front in their final two games likely didn't help his draft stock.
Ohio State gave up five sacks each to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game and Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Cotton Bowl, though Hinzman didn't allow any sacks and only one pressure in those games, per Pro Football Focus. He was far from satisfied after those games, however. Following the season-ending loss to the Hurricanes, he gave early inklings that he might return.
"I'm not sure exactly where I'll be. But like I said earlier, I don't have any pressure to leave," Hinzman said. "If the opportunity presents itself, I'm proud to come back. If there's a better opportunity at the next level or somewhere, then maybe that would be another choice. But that would be a decision I would make with God and my family. I love it here. I have no problem staying here."
Hinzman has 35 total starts of experience on the offensive line. He started as a redshirt freshman after the surprise departure of Luke Wypler for Ohio State's maligned 2023 offensive line, was benched for that year's Cotton Bowl, but responded when another opportunity came about in 2024. A backup to start the year after former Alabama center Seth McLaughlin transferred to Columbus, Hinzman filled in at guard and played fantastically after a season-ending injury to Josh Simmons forced regular left guard Donovan Jackson to slide out to left tackle.
Before the 11th game of that campaign, McLaughlin went down with his own season-ending injury and Hinzman returned to center. After initial struggles against Indiana and Michigan, he put together one of his best stretches of play during that year's CFP, part of a line that paved the way for an Ohio State national championship.
Hinzman started all 14 games of the Buckeyes' 2025 season at center, allowing one sack with 16 total pressures, per PFF. The service also graded him as Ohio State's best pass blocker at 76, though he ranked fourth among the team's contributing offensive linemen in run-blocking grade at 70.3. His overall grade, 72.5, was also fourth behind the same three men: Austin Siereveld, Luke Montgomery and Joshua Padilla.
Hinzman becomes the second Ohio State offensive lineman with draft eligibility to confirm his return for the 2026 season, joining Montgomery. Siereveld and right tackle Phillip Daniels have not yet confirmed their returns but are seen as likely to return ahead of the midnight deadline to enter the 2026 NFL draft. Last year’s starting right guard, Tegra Tshabola, has transferred to Kentucky, but Padilla and Gabe VanSickle played rotational roles at RG in 2025 and are both candidates to replace Tshabola in next season’s starting lineup.
