Buckeyes Will Need To Be Aggressive And Effective In Portal For Offensive Linemen

The Buckeyes didn’t quite hit their mark on offensive linemen on early signing day, though there is still time to add more between now and February. The transfer portal will also be key as the Ohio State offensive line looks to replace four starters from this season.

On Wednesday, the Buckeyes signed three offensive linemen in their 2025 recruiting class. Toledo Whitmer’s Carter Lowe is the star of the class, ranked the No. 7 tackle in the nation per 247Sports.com. Westerville North’s Jake Cook and Jayvon McFadden out of Riverdale Baptist High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland are ranked the Nos. 32 and 33 interior line prospects in the nation, respectively.

Asked on Wednesday how he plans to address any shortfalls at the position, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said they would continue to be aggressive in pursuit of linemen for the 2025 season.

“That’s the one area there that I feel like we’ve got to make sure that we’re going to be moving forward into the next few weeks addressing,” Day said. “We have to do that. There’s a lot that goes with it.”

As for the class itself, Day broke down what he sees.

“I think Javon is really going to give us something at tackle,” he said. “Carter’s a swing guy. Jake’s a local guy. All three of those guys we feel great about, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to make sure we have the numbers that we need. Making sure we have the depth that we need.”

What does Day like about Carter Lowe specifically?

“Well, first off, he can play a couple different positions,” Day said. “He’s got good size. He played basketball. He’s got good feet. Very competitive and wants to be at Ohio State and knows what it means to be a Buckeye. All those things add up. Tough, physical. But again, I think he can play a couple different positions. He can play tackle if we need him to. He can play guard. He’s got the size to do that. He’s got the feet to do it. So we’ll kind of see when he gets here, but we’re hoping that he can make a difference early on.”

Offensive line coach Justin Frye has received criticism throughout his tenure for his recruiting efforts, though he was also key in landing a pair of starters out of the transfer portal the past two years. The loss of those two players — left tackle Josh Simmons and Seth McLaughlin — to injuries this year has hampered the offense and put the depth of OSU’s offensive line room to the test.

With both of those players leaving for the NFL after this season, as well as starters Donovan Jackson and Josh Fryar, the need to replenish has only increased. It won’t just be done via the 2025 recruiting class.

“I guess in today’s day and age, it’s a little bit different on how you put the roster together,” Day said. “It’s not just about the high school guys and recruiting. You have to make sure that you have your numbers and you have your depth. Whether it’s through retention or maybe a guy in the portal here or there, that’s what it’s going to come down to. It’s everybody’s job as a position coach to make sure that they have what they need.”

And while the depth chart won’t be significantly improved by the 2025 signing class, that’s where the previous classes have to come in and step up. This is where the recruiting chops have to bear fruit. Every team in the nation is looking for offensive linemen in the portal. It can’t be the first option for a program like Ohio State, but given the losses, it’s hard to imagine a team more in need of some reinforcements.

The task then comes back to Justin Frye, who has done a very solid job putting together an offensive line this season and then dealing with injuries all along the way. But if the recruiting struggles, eventually it shows up on Saturdays.

And sometimes it shows up on the final Saturday of the regular season.

Ryan Day was asked to share his assessment of Frye’s recruiting performance and ability to develop players in his time at OSU, and while he didn’t scorch the earth, there are clearly patches that might melt some shoe bottoms.

“I think for all of our guys, there’s been things that they’ve done well and then things that they haven’t done well,” Day said. “And so we give them feedback on the areas that they’ve got to improve on. I’ve shared with him some of my things that I think he’s doing well and things he’s not doing well, and I won’t get into those right now, but there’s all areas that we can improve in. 

“And the number one job for any position coach is their unit, their room. Who you’re bringing in, who you’re developing, and ultimately, are you building enough depth to go win the games we need to win? And so that’s the challenge for all of our guys. Then it’s power of the unit, and then it’s scheme is really the third thing. So there’s certainly things he’s done well, but things he’s got to improve on.”

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