Offensive line is almost certainly the biggest question mark for the Ohio State football program for the next few years.
The Buckeyes have just 11 scholarship players on the roster or signed heading into National Signing Day on Wednesday.
They have a chance to add a couple more prospects then, including three-star tackle Dawand Jones and four-star guard Enokk Vimahi. But it’s often hard for true freshmen to make a meaningful difference up front.
That’s why the Buckeyes are actively pursuing grad transfers with established track records at the highest levels of the game.
One of those players is Georgia Tech’s Parker Braun. He was a freshman all-American in 2016, and earned all-conference honors in each of the last two seasons.
Braun is in the transfer portal and will have one year of eligibility left.
OSU head coach Ryan Day spoke with Braun on Monday, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Braun will graduate in May, and is looking at schools like Florida and Texas in addition to the Buckeyes.
He visited Gainesville last weekend, along with his younger brother Joshua, a 4-star lineman in the 2020 class.
Parker Braun is planning a visit to Austin, and may take a visit to Columbus as well.
Braun won’t go through spring practice with the Yellow Jackets, but isn’t in a big rush to make a decision on his next destination, either.
A source told TheOzone that the process has “kind of taken off” more than expected, and that Braun wants to take some time to evaluate his options, including strength coaches and position coaches.
He played in an option-based offense in high school, and in Tech’s flexbone-based attack. The Yellow Jackets’ offense includes elements similar to the Buckeyes’, including zone read, and inside and outside zone, which means he should be more than capable of handling the run game in Columbus.
Questions about Braun’s ability to pass protect may linger until he gets a chance to play for a school that throws it more than the Jackets. But based on the caliber of programs chasing him, it’s clearly not a deal-breaker.
You can get a feel for Braun’s game in the video below. He’s the left guard, and helped Tech rush for 542 yards in a 66-31 win over Louisville and defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder.
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