Offensive line is almost certainly the biggest question mark for the 2019 Ohio State football team.
After Michael Jordan declared for the NFL Draft, the Buckeyes were left with just 11 scholarship offensive linemen. That’s at least four or five fewer than most programs like to have.
You may have picked up on the urgency of the situation when we wrote about the unit over and over and over and over and over and over again.
“It’s kind of important” is the conclusion you’re supposed to draw, FYI.
OSU added a pair of freshman offensive linemen on National Signing Day, when Dawand Jones and Enokk Vimahi joined the program.
But the line is a tough place for a freshman to contribute, let alone start.
With four of the 2018 starters now headed to the NFL, there are a lot of holes to fill up front, and not a lot of experienced players waiting to plug those gaps.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Buckeyes have been active in the transfer market.
OSU has spoken with at least three different grad transfer linemen from Power 5 programs. Here’s where things stand with all three of those players.
Jonah Jackson from Rutgers visited Columbus a couple weeks ago, and then spent last weekend with the Oklahoma Sooners. Jackson was an honorable mention all-Big Ten player in 2018, and would provide an immediate plug-and-play option for the Buckeyes. His decision could come at any time now.
R.J. Proctor from Virginia is set to visit Ohio State from March 1-3. He spent last weekend at Texas, and is also considering Oklahoma, Florida State, and Houston. Proctor is scheduled to make his decision around the end of March.
Parker Braun from Georgia Tech has visited Florida and Texas, and has spoken with OSU about setting up a visit. Braun is a two-time all-ACC selection. Tuesday, Braun told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that “we’re still trying to work out something with Ohio State.”
Ohio State will likely only take one of the three players, since they’re currently one over the NCAA-mandated limit of 85 scholarship players.
But landing any one of those three prospects would be a big answer to the Buckeyes’ biggest question of the spring.