Closer Look: Is Ethan Onianwa Ohio State's Next Left Tackle?

The Buckeyes must replace all three of their starting left tackles from last season, and in order to help make that happen, they went into the transfer portal and landed Rice left tackle Ethan Onianwa. Onianwa (6-6 345) is a fifth-year senior who was a three-year starter for the Owls, though his first two years of starting came at right tackle.

Onianwa was ranked the No. 13 offensive tackle in the transfer portal per 247Sports. Ohio State beat out Florida State, Texas A&M, and Iowa for his services. He took official visits to all four schools before finally making his decision.

As a high school prospect, Onianwa had offers from schools such as Yale, Dartmouth, Columbia, Princeton, Arkansas State, Louisiana, and Rice. He was a three-star prospect out of Katy, Texas. He was ranked the No. 89 interior line prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, and the No. 1,463 player overall per the 247Sports Composite.

What To Like

Ethian Onianwa is a massive run blocker, so when he gets to his man, he can create a path and he will keep driving. You can see that in the clips immediately below. His presence alone creates issues for defenses to get around. Onianwa is a powerful blocker who can seal a defensive edge, but he also has the athleticism to get into the second level and find work.

Here are some run blocking snaps from last year for Ethan Onianwa. He's at LT (78). (There are not a lot of full Rice games on YouTube, fyi.) pic.twitter.com/jFb65rhJP1
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) February 15, 2025

The Potential

When Ethan Onianwa was a true freshman, he checked in at 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds. As a redshirt freshman, he was listed at 330 pounds. It will be interesting to see if OSU strength coach Mickey Marotti wants Onianwa closer to that number than his current number. The Buckeyes haven’t had anybody this big at tackle since Dawand Jones, but he was 6-foot-8.

Onianwa is about to take a gigantic step up in competition, so he’ll need to have the quickness to handle the speed rushers that he’s going to face. He already has the size and strength to deal with the power rushers. Given his Ivy League offers as a high schooler, he should be able to pick up the offense quickly enough.

New Ohio State offensive line coach Tyler Bowen wasn’t part of Onianwa’s recruitment, but now he needs to be a big part of the finishing touches. There are scouts around the game who feel like the Buckeyes landed the best tackle in the portal. Now it’s time to prove it.

The Expectations

The expectation is that Ethan Onianwa will be Ohio State’s starting left tackle this season, but his history at right tackle is also something to keep in mind. The Buckeyes need starters at both positions, after all. The clips below show every snap for Onianwa as a right tackle in 2023 against Texas. He doesn’t look out of place competing against the Longhorns.

There are large parts of the Texas game that look better than some of the stuff Onianwa showed in the clips from 2024.

Here is every snap for Ethan Onianwa against Texas in 2023. He's at RT (78). He moved to LT last year for the Rice Owls. pic.twitter.com/S4yjdKFCZH
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) February 15, 2025

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that Ohio State went into the transfer portal to find at least one starting offensive tackle. They signed two tackles in Ethan Onianwa and Minnesota redshirt freshman Phillip Daniels. Both may end up starting, but Onianwa’s experience makes him the most likely to win a job.

Ohio State is hoping this ends up as successful as the Josh Simmons transfer was two years ago, but if you’ll remember, there were some growing pains the first half of that season. Simmons was also a redshirt sophomore, so the situations aren’t exact.

This is going to be a step up for Ethian Onianwa, but he’s never going to be as ready for it as he is now. He’s a veteran who is looking for bigger games on bigger stages. He’s found that now at Ohio State. And just like the game against Texas in 2023, don’t be surprised when he steps up and shows that he belongs.