With Ohio State’s first 15 practices of the year in the books, we now have a better idea of who’s on the rise and where things stand for the Buckeyes at every position group entering the 2026 season.
New Buckeyes were on the field at every position this spring as 51 new Ohio State players were part of the team that went through the Buckeyes’ March and April practices. There were plenty of newcomers and returning Buckeyes alike who stood out on each side of the ball as players competed for position on the depth chart and looked to prove they can make an impact for OSU this season.
Spring Recaps
With the Buckeyes currently in a break from on-field activity before summer workouts ramp up in a few weeks, we’re taking a position-by-position look at who stood out this spring, what questions still linger after spring, how the depth chart currently stacks up and the overall outlook for each position going into the summer.
In the third installment of our Spring Recap series, we’re taking a look at one of the most important positions that will make or break the Buckeyes’ success in 2026: The offensive line, where Ohio State has four returning starters from last season but is still considering several potential lineups as it looks to improve upon its rough end to 2025.
Spring Standout
Ian Moore
Moore became Ohio State’s starting left tackle halfway through the spring after Austin Siereveld was shut down for the remainder of the spring for a lower-body surgery. The 6-foot-6, 312-pound redshirt sophomore performed well enough for the rest of the spring that he may not give the job back.
Building off a strong showing in the second half of last season’s Cotton Bowl loss after Siereveld left that game due to injury, Moore held strong while going head-to-head with Ohio State’s top defensive ends this spring, making a compelling case that he’s one of the Buckeyes’ best five offensive linemen and belongs in the starting lineup.
“Ian has done some really good things, so that’s been great,” Ryan Day said during the final week of spring practice. “He certainly has gotten better, and he's going to have an opportunity to play himself into a starter role here. Now whether he does and takes the next final step or two, we'll have to see, but he's certainly going to be in the conversation.”
Two Lingering Questions
1. Should Ohio State move Austin Siereveld from left tackle to right guard?
While Moore looked ready to be a starter this spring, there’s still the question of whether moving Siereveld away from the left tackle spot is in Ohio State’s best interest. After all, Siereveld was a second-team All-Big Ten performer at that position last season, allowing zero sacks all year while protecting Julian Sayin’s blind side.
There’s no question that Siereveld will start somewhere along Ohio State’s offensive line this season, it’s just a matter of which position. Neither Day nor Ohio State offensive line coach Tyler Bowen wanted to say specifically this spring where they thought Siereveld would play this fall, but both pointed to his flexibility to play both inside and outside.
The prevailing theory coming out of spring is that Moore’s rise at left tackle could mean moving Siereveld to right guard, where Gabe VanSickle or Joshua Padilla would otherwise be the top option to replace Tegra Tshabola. We’ll get a better idea of whether that’s actually the plan when Siereveld is back on the field for preseason camp.
2. Can Phillip Daniels lock down the right side in pass protection?
Another possible option for Ohio State’s 2026 offensive line could be keeping Siereveld at left tackle with Moore displacing Daniels at right tackle. While Daniels is a returning starter from last season, he’s not seen as a lock to start the same way Siereveld, Luke Montgomery and Carson Hinzman are. That reflects a shaky end to last season for Daniels, who allowed 15 quarterback pressures in his final seven game appearances of the year, per Pro Football Focus.
Like Siereveld, Daniels missed the second half of spring after undergoing a minor surgery, leaving him with more to prove in preseason camp to lock down the starting right tackle job. He remains the frontrunner to start at RT, though, as redshirt freshman Carter Lowe struggled in first-team duty at that position after replacing Daniels in the lineup for the second half of spring.
Incumbent right tackle Phillip Daniels still must secure a starting job in preseason camp after struggling in the second half of 2025. (Photo: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Projected Depth Chart
Left Tackle
1. Ian Moore
2. Sam Greer
3. Deontae Armstrong
Left Guard
1. Luke Montgomery
2. Jake Cook
3. Maxwell Riley
Center
1. Carson Hinzman
2. Joshua Padilla
3. Mason Wilhelm or Tucker Smith
Right Guard
1. Austin Siereveld
2. Gabe VanSickle
3. Landry Brede
Right Tackle
1. Phillip Daniels
2. Carter Lowe
3. Vasean Washington
Ultimately, Ohio State’s starting lineup on the offensive line likely depends on who establishes themselves as the Buckeyes’ fourth and fifth best offensive linemen alongside Siereveld, Montgomery and Hinzman. Moore made a stronger case that he belongs in that five this spring than anyone else who wasn’t a starter last year, so with Daniels being an incumbent starter, the most likely scenario right now looks to be Siereveld moving back to guard, the position he began his Ohio State career playing before moving to left tackle last season.
Either VanSickle or Padilla could be the starting right guard if Siereveld stays outside; either way, Padilla will be the next man up at center behind Hinzman. Cook also returns as a second-string interior offensive lineman from last season. Lowe projects to be Ohio State’s backup right tackle. Greer has the inside track to the final spot on the offensive line two-deep after also taking some first-team reps this spring as a true freshman.
Washington wasn’t on campus this spring but could also factor into the competition for a backup offensive tackle spot when he arrives this summer as a transfer from Dartmouth. Smith, the only member of Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class who wasn’t a midyear enrollee, was also absent for spring practices but will join a group of freshman interior offensive linemen that includes Riley, Brede and Wilhelm this summer.
Post-Spring Outlook
With a total of 91 career starts, Ohio State’s offensive line is one of the most experienced in the entire country. There’s plenty of continuity from last season as the Buckeyes return four of their five starters from last season.
Siereveld, Montgomery and Hinzman are all projected to be among the Big Ten’s best offensive linemen, while Moore looks like a potential breakout star. That said, Ohio State is largely relying on the same group that struggled mightily in the Buckeyes’ final two games of last season, allowing 10 sacks in their postseason losses to Indiana and Miami.
Day and Bowen showed their confidence in their returning starters and top backups from last year by prioritizing retention over adding potential starters in the transfer portal. An injury-plagued spring leaves lingering concerns, however, as Ohio State’s defensive line often got the best of its offensive line as Siereveld, Daniels, Padilla and Cook were all sidelined for at least part of the spring.
Theoretically, the Buckeyes’ offensive line should be a strength, given that all of their starters will be players who saw significant playing time in 2025 and who have been in the program for at least three years. But they still have a lot to prove when the games begin this fall after ending last season as the team’s biggest weakness.
