At Ohio State, the expectations are always sky-high, and for Ryan Day, the pressure has reached another level. With a roster loaded with talent and championship expectations, one startling admission about the offensive line is raising eyebrows across Columbus. This feedback came from the veteran DE Kenyatta Jackson Jr.
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“I mean, it’s like from last year to this year; it’s night and day,” DE Kenyatta Jackson Jr said on Big Ten Football on August 20 when asked about how he sees Ohio State’s offensive line coming along. “I believe last year it was like, their first time really being together. But now they’ve got that year under their belt. They’re older; they’re mature. I mean, it’s different. They’re more aggressive. I don’t know what Coach Bowen and Coach Day are doing in the old line room, but it’s working for sure.”
Jackson Jr.’s comments are a testament to a massive shift in team chemistry and player development during Ohio State’s 2026 fall training camp. After a year together, the rest of the roster has gotten comfortable with each other. It has been a positive for them as they have become ruthless on the field, unlike the previous season, where many linemen were stepping into starting roles for the first time. The 2026 front returns four out of five major contributors.
After waiting his turn behind high-round draft picks, Jackson has finally taken the starting role. He logged an impressive 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in his previous campaign. Because Jackson faces Ohio State’s starting offensive line every day in high-intensity scrimmages, feedback carries significant weight inside the program.
Veterans like center Carson Hinzman and guard Luke Montgomery give the interior of the line immense structural comfort. Under the oversight of head coach Ryan Day, players who were younger or lighter in previous years have spent a full season reshaping their bodies to match the power of Ohio State’s first-team defensive front.
Ryan Day roped in Tyler Bowen as his offensive line coach in February 2025 after Justin Frye left from the pros. He is also the Buckeyes’ run game coordinator. Bowen’s unit was quite impressive during the regular season last year. The pass protection was elite, as the O-line held opponents to zero sacks in the initial few games.
However, the offensive line struggled in the Big Ten Championship game. Indiana sacked Julian Sayin five times. The same woes continued against Miami in the CFP. Heading into the 2026 season, Bowen is trying to put the strongest starting five. As a result, Austin Siereveld is expected to move to right guard, while Ian Moore is going to tackle the tackle spot.
Moore was the young standout who initially drew massive attention as a true freshman during the 2024 season. As the 2026 season closes in, he has transformed from into an elite, battle-tested tackle. He is heavily competing for a starting spot on Ryan Day’s offensive line. The rest of the pieces are settled for now.