Despite being “pis-ed off about everybody” and claiming the Ohio State roster “is nowhere near where we need to be,” head coach Ryan Day was able to identify some positives from the Buckeyes’ fall camp practice. One of the team’s units is looking better than it has looked in a long time. Moreover, a returning starter continues to adapt to a positional change and greater demands ahead of the 2026 season.

Senior offensive lineman Austin Siereveld returns to the team after a 2025 season in which he started all 14 games. In what could be his final season in college football, Siereveld has been undergoing a major positional switch. Despite playing 810 total offensive snaps without allowing a single sack at left tackle, Day and other coaches have decided to switch his position.

“So the offensive line, right now, Austin’s been working at guard, and it’s been good,” Day said to the media on August 24 as the Buckeyes began their penultimate week of practices before the season opener. “He obviously spent a long time at tackle last year, and so he’s been working inside, and his everyday has been getting more and more comfortable getting back in there. So, you’re seeing Carson, Luke, and Austin inside, and then Ian and Phil on the outside. They’re working together right now and getting a lot of reps with the ones now. The guys right behind them are getting a ton of reps, too.

“And so, you’re seeing Josh Padilla play some guard. You’re also seeing him play center, but then Gabe VanSickle and Jake are right in there as well. And then, Carter at tackle and Deontae at tackle as well. Like, they’re all repping with the ones. I would say going into this week, we still haven’t made any final decisions, but that’s really how the ones are working right now… But the good news is we feel like we have more depth there, probably, than we’ve had in a long time.”

Even before Ryan Day announced the news about Austin Siereveld moving to right guard, Ohio State running back Ja’Kobi Jackson had accidentally spilled the beans. During a media appearance last week, Jackson discussed how the O-line is faring in front of a dominant D-line in the camp. He ended up disclosing that Siereveld is lining up at guard.

Due to his physique and power, Siereveld is deemed a more natural interior offensive lineman by the coaching staff. Therefore, his new position places him in a setting where his physical traits would thrive more naturally, strengthening his stock ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft as an interior offensive lineman capable of playing at the highest level.

While Siereveld is moved to guard, Ian Moore, who seems more physically inclined to the left tackle position, would be moved there in the 2026 season. The new starting five gives the Buckeyes their ‘best five’ on the OL.

However, Day still hasn’t said that the staff has reached the final word on the positional change. So far, the frontrunners to start are Luke Montgomery, Carson Hinzman, and Austin Siereveld inside, with Ian Moore and Phillip Daniels at tackle.

Ohio State announces seven captains

Ryan Day has not arrived at a conclusion on the starting core of the Buckeyes’ roster for most positions. Some positions with clear starters, like quarterback, still lack a clear backup. With the season opener just days away, it is not all done and dusted for the Buckeyes, as there are a few more things to fix in the remaining days.

One of the reasons for the indecisiveness within the Buckeyes team in the days leading up to the season opener is the integration of new student-athletes.

Day noted that the Buckeyes have 51 new players, which has brought about some “storms along the way.” To help make things easier, Day appointed seven captains ahead of the 2026 season. The list includes Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Inniss, Austin Siereveld, Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Payton Pierce, and Jaylen McClain.