The O-line gave Ohio State all kinds of problems last season. The Buckeyes’ trench men held their ground during the season, but when the biggest night of their lives arrived, they couldn’t handle Miami’s powerful front seven, led by a potential top-5 draft pick this year, Rueben Bain Jr. Head coach Ryan Day and O-line coach Tyler Bowen promised to improve the unit heading into spring. However, according to Toney Gerdeman’s today’s (8th practice) spring practice report, the depth was put under water to see if they can swim following the absence of a couple of linemen.

According to veteran reporter Tim May, left tackle Austin Siereveld (724 snaps and didn’t allow a single sack all season) and Phillip Daniels are both sidelined right now because of some “minor procedures.” On top of that, Joshua Padilla is also out of the mix, apparently. This means a bunch of younger guys are getting tossed into the deep end way earlier than expected.

With those big names out, the coaching staff is basically using this as a stress test for the depth chart. It’s one thing to talk about having a “deep roster,” but it’s another thing entirely when your redshirt sophomores and freshmen have to line up against a starting defensive line that’s trying to take their heads off by any means to get just one sack.

For now, redshirt sophomore Ian Moore is stepping in at left tackle, and then redshirt freshman Carter Lowe is at right tackle. Lowe, a recent top-100 prospect, is taking crucial first-team reps. Meanwhile, Moore’s ability to cross-train at both guard and tackle gives the unit much-needed flexibility. This early exposure helps them adapt to college-level speed.

Instead of just having five guys they trust at one time, they’re now essentially force-feeding experience to seven or maybe eight players all at once. That said, if Siereveld, Daniels, and Padilla can get healthy and comeback, and these young players like Moore and Lowe keep stacking reps at this pace, Ohio State is going to have a seriously scary amount of depth, hopefully.

The young Ohio State Buckeyes are balling out

Ohio State’s eighth spring practice showed strong defense. Epi Sitanilei, a young defensive end, played mostly with the second team and made life hard for the offensive line. He got a few sacks and put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. James Smith, a senior defensive tackle, also did very well. He played with both the first and second teams at different spots and was very tough to block. After practice, he had his black stripe removed, which means he is improving.

At running back, Ja’Kobi Jackson led the group because other players were out or hurt. The RB played with the first team and showed patience and good vision. He waited for plays to open and made good decisions. He also caught passes and made a nice move to avoid linebacker Payton Pierce. Freshman Favour Akih played with the second team and also looked good. He had a run of about 20 yards, was quick, hard to tackle, and caught a touchdown pass.

The team did not throw many deep passes because they practiced on half a field. Instead, they focused on short passes. Coaches want players to gain yards after the catch, but that was not easy today. Still, transfer receiver Devin McCuin had a good day after catching the ball, and he also got his black stripe removed. Transfer defender Qua Russaw also played well again. He showed strength and speed and looked good with the first team.

They ended the team did a field goal drill. Kicker Connor Hawkins tried a 36-yard kick while students stood around him. If he missed, everyone would have to run. He made the kick, and everyone celebrated. Some freshmen also did well: Brock Boyd caught one touchdown, Favour Akih scored again, Blaine Bradford made plays on defense, and linemen Mason Wilhelm and Sam Greer looked promising.

So far, even with a couple of them injured, Buckeye spring football is going as expected. With 7 practices left, there’s still plenty of room for young Buckeyes to improve their stock before the April 18 spring game.