A veteran defensive player for Ohio State football believes the team’s offensive linemen have greatly improved from last season.
In an interview with Big Ten Network Aug. 20, Ohio State defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr., one of the Buckeyes’ three returning defensive starters, voiced some surprise at the transformation.
“I mean it’s like, from last year to this year, it’s night and day,” Jackson Jr. said. “I believe last year was their first time really being together, but now they got that year under their belt, they’re older, they’re mature. I mean, it’s different. They’re more aggressive.”
Jackson Jr. joked: “I don’t know what Coach [Tyler] Bowen and Coach [Ryan] Day are doing in that o-line room, but it’s working for sure.”
Ohio State retained four of five offensive line starters from the 2025 season: left tackle Austin Siereveld, left guard Luke Montgomery, center Carson Hinzman and right tackle Phillip Daniels. Though Montgomery, Hinzman and Daniels started in their usual positions in the camp practices open to the media, an injury to Siereveld caused some shuffling.
Redshirt sophomore Ian Moore played at left tackle during the first and third days of training camp with Siereveld at right guard. On day two, Siereveld rotated to left tackle with Josh Padilla at right guard.
Despite the starting lineup not being finalized, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day praised the unit’s depth at practice Aug. 15.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State defender says Buckeyes O-line is ‘night and day’ improved
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Reporting by Dan Aulbach, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Dan Aulbach, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
