Welcome to fall preseason football at Ohio State. Just when we thought we had this whole offensive depth chart figured out, the coaching staff has inserted a glitch in the scarlet and gray matrix. We go through several exercises during the year in an attempt to project the two-deep and we felt pretty good about the offensive side of the ball.
However, based on observations and comments made by the offensive coaches, it looks like things are not as set in stone with the buffet eaters as we thought. We felt pretty good about Nicholas Petit-Frere manning the right tackle spot and Thayer Munford continuing his dominance at left tackle, but there are signs that those two could both be moving.
All the disclaimer apply here about reading too much into what is seen and observed during fall camp, but it has been clear that those two are working out at different spots. Munford has seen some time at left guard, and Petit-Frere has been trying things at left tackle.
More than that, Harry Miller was back at center, Paris Johnson was at right guard, and perhaps most surprising, Dawand Jones was working out at Petit-Frere’s old spot, right tackle. It was an interesting lineup, but one that is apparently not just an experiment, but a very possible look when Ohio State kicks off the season.
“It’s not about the guys. It’s not about three guys — four guys. It’s about five guys,” offensive line coach Greg Studrawa told reporters after practice. “So yeah, that’s absolutely a possibility, among others.”
It’s all about getting the best five guys on the field in the positions that will make the entire line as successful as possible. And, with the rapid rise of Jones, the shuffling is something that is a byproduct of where things stand.
The rapid development of third-year sophomore Dawand Jones could prompt Ohio State to reconfigure its offensive line for this season. More from @brdispatch on the potential shuffle: https://t.co/0ydnLjSqjK
— Joey Kaufman (@joeyrkaufman) August 11, 2021
We always saw flashes of Jones’ ability when getting some spot duty, but it appears the light is burning brighter and brighter for the 6-foot, 8-inch, 360-pounder. According to Studrawa, it’s because he’s been able to dedicate himself to football only since being at Ohio State.
“He never took football as seriously as he took basketball, so it’s taken some time to develop that,” Studrawa said. “Now his attention span’s different, his attention to detail is different, his want to be great at football is totally different. And the fact is you’ve got a 370-pound man that can move. And when you’re tested against our pass rushers, if you can block them, I don’t think anything during the season is going to be an issue.”
We’ll keep an eye on how things play out, but things are clearly in flux for good reasons along the offensive line.
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