Six Buckeyes On Offense Who Helped Themselves The Most In Fall Camp

Fall Camp is technically over for the Buckeyes as they have moved out of the team hotel with classes underway on Tuesday. Practices now take place in the late afternoon and will eventually end under the lights in the coming months.

Camp is always an interesting time for young players as they have to find a way to fight through all of the adversity they are experiencing. It is also a time for upperclassmen to step into a position battle and come through it a different person.

Both of these scenarios have occurred for a number of players on this year’s Ohio State football team. Today, we’ll discuss a half-dozen players on the offensive side of the ball.

Quarterback Will Howard

Any time a quarterback earns the starting nod in fall camp, he has made the most of his time. That’s what Will Howard did this month. Spring camp was a learning experience for the Kansas State transfer, and fall camp was where he showed off his experience and mastery of the Ohio State playbook. Improved accuracy and an experienced voice in the huddle didn’t hurt.

Offensive Lineman Austin Siereveld

Austin Siereveld is a redshirt freshman offensive lineman who didn’t see the field at all last year as a true freshman. He began his career as a guard but moved to tackle this month in part due to the nasty virus that went through the offensive line room. Siereveld has the size and length to play the position and impressed in his opportunities. He has created some needed depth up front.

Right Guard Tegra Tshabola

Head coach Ryan Day tabbed Alabama transfer center Seth McLaughlin as the most consistent lineman during camp but also lauded redshirt sophomore Tegra Tshabola for his consistency and availability. Consistency was the main question mark remaining for Tshabola, and he may have answered that question with a very strong finish to camp. With redshirt sophomore Carson Hinzman battling illness throughout camp, Tshabola stepped up and may have won himself the starting right guard job.

Tight End Will Kacmarek

Will Kacmarek transferred to Ohio State in the winter from Ohio University where he had starting experience. Despite the experience, the learning curve from OU to OSU is still pretty treacherous. Spring helped Kacmarek get his cleats wet. The effort and physicality were always there, but now the offensive understanding is catching up to the rest of his skill set. Kacmarek is an imposing tight end who is getting more and more comfortable.

Receiver Brandon Inniss

After the first day of fall practice, Ryan Day said they still needed to know which receivers they could trust. They felt good about 1-3, but they needed to find a 4-7. Sophomore Brandon Inniss has made a very strong push to be the first guy off the bench for the OSU receivers. He will line up in the slot but is comfortable wherever he is needed. Inniss is dynamic with the ball in his hands, as he showed throughout fall camp.

Tight End Jelani Thurman

When Ryan Day talks about Jelani Thurman you can always pick out both the hope and concern in his voice. The hope is there because Thurman has unique measurables and athleticism, but the concern follows because the consistency still needs work. Thurman is still just a redshirt freshman playing a developmental position. A second-year tight end isn’t normally expected to be a major factor. Some of that consistency that Day was looking for has shown up over the last week or so.

Don’t Forget

• Sophomore offensive lineman Luke Montgomery’s move to center may set him up as the starter at that position next year. He now has the capacity to play anywhere on the offensive line when needed this season.
• Freshman receiver Mylan Graham hit a bit of a wall but created his own momentum and powered through. In a normal year, there would be way more talk about Graham.
• Freshman running back James Peoples lost his black stripe in fall camp and is looking like the first guy in off the bench not named Henderson/Judkins.
• Sophomore receiver Carnell Tate is going to be one of the Big Ten’s best players this year and the fact that it isn’t talked about more around these parts is a testament to how established he already is.

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