Closer Look: Ian Moore A Powerful, Consistent Option Down The Road

Ian Moore was a First-Team All-State selection as a senior at New Palestine High School in New Palestine, Indiana. He was part of an offense that rushed for 255 yards per game in 2023, finishing the season with a regional title and an 11-3 record. Moore was named Mr. Football Offensive Lineman as a senior. He also played defense, totaling 37 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.

As a recruit, Moore (6-6 309) was ranked the No. 5 interior offensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite. He was the No. 168 player in the nation overall and the No. 4 player in the state of Indiana. He signed with Ohio State over offers from Florida State, Miami, Iowa, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, and others.

What To Like

Ian Moore played mostly left tackle as a senior, so he is accustomed to being outside in pass-blocking situations. He enrolled this winter for the Buckeyes and played right tackle in the spring. Moore is a powerful run blocker who can open up a lane in front of him, or crash down the line of scrimmage to collapse an entire side of the line.

Like many high school offensive lineman, Moore is more experienced as a run blocker than a pass blocker, but he’s not out of his comfort zone in the passing game. In the clips below, you can see his power in the running game as he overwhelms defenders across from him.

Ian Moore is a powerful run blocker who can create a lane or collapse the line. pic.twitter.com/UHJFyQBsUf
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) July 14, 2024

The Potential

Potentially, Ian Moore could end up anywhere on the offensive line, but the goal for players like Moore is to give them a good, long look at tackle to see how well they can handle it. Moore did well this spring and has continued to progress in the summer in the weight room.

Moore will continue to gain more experience as a pass blocker, which will help determine his ultimate future. The needs of the offensive line will also play a part. Offensive line coach Justin Frye will always be looking to put his best five on the field. When Moore is eventually part of that top five, he should have the versatility to fit where he is needed.

Here is some pass blocking from Ian Moore's senior season. He was part of a run-heavy offense and also played on the defensive line for his New Palestine High School team. pic.twitter.com/5sNpwZK6Fv
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) July 14, 2024

The Expectations

Ian Moore spent much of the spring running with the threes at right tackle. Freshman offensive linemen generally redshirt, and so it won’t be a surprise to see Moore do the same. The depth chart right now isn’t calling for a true freshman to help out in the two-deep anywhere, which is a good thing for the team and generally a good thing for the freshmen.

The clips below show most of Moore’s snaps in the Ohio State spring game. All of the snaps come at right tackle and there were really no bad snaps for him in the game. Most of his pass-blocking snaps were against redshirt freshman defensive end Joshua Mickens, true freshman defensive end Eddrick Houston, and walk-on defensive end Caden Davis.

Here are most of the snaps for freshman RT Ian Moore (69) in the Ohio State spring game. It was a very solid performance overall. pic.twitter.com/oZn2MG5EtS
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) July 14, 2024

The Bottom Line

Ian Moore will likely redshirt this season but will use the time to prepare himself for a role in the two-deep as a second-year player. The Buckeyes will be losing multiple offensive line starters after this season, so jobs will be available for a number of linemen.

If Moore can show this year that he is a viable option at tackle, he could legitimately be in the mix to start next year at right tackle following the graduation of starter Josh Fryar. More likely, however, is that Moore will take the more traditional path of learning how to be a college offensive lineman over his first two years before finally competing for a starting job as a redshirt sophomore.

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