Also no.
While head coach Ryan Day knew he would most likely have to replace C.J. Stroud after last season, the opening in the middle in front of the signal-caller is more of a surprise after Luke Wypler opted to leave two years early for the NFL.
There is more experience at quarterback, too, with Kyle McCord entering his third year in the program and trying to beat out second-year man Devin Brown, who enrolled last January.
At center, coach Justin Frye’s main competitors this spring are Carson Hinzman and Victor Cutler, a duo that has been in Columbus for less than 12 months combined.
Hinzman arrived last summer as a four-star recruit from Wisconsin while Cutler has only been on campus since the winter.
The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Cutler is not new to college football, having started at left tackle last season for Louisiana-Monroe, but he is learning the ropes both as a Buckeye and inside.
“He’s making good progress,” Day said of the senior who has two years of eligibility left. “He’s learning how to practice at Ohio State every day, and that’s an adjustment.”
With last year’s No. 2 center, junior Jakob James, recovering from an injury, Hinzman got the first crack at replacing Wypler.
The Wisconsinite generated some early buzz, but he has not been able to lock down the starting role yet.
“I think he’s done some good things, but to say that he’s earned the starting spot,” Day said. “I don’t think we’re there yet.”
That might have opened the door for Cutler to make a late move, something Day said early on he hoped would happen once Cutler had more time to learn the offense.
“He has athleticism,” Day said last week. “He has want-to. He’s out here every day, and like I say all the time: If you’re out here every day practicing, that’s how you get better. And I don’t know if it’s gonna be right now, but eventually, we’re gonna look up and we’re gonna see a lot of improvement. I think we’re seeing some of that with him.”
Overall, the line appears to be a work in progress.
Donovan Jackson and Matt Jones return as starters at the guards, but both tackles will be new.
All indications are left tackle is Josh Fryer’s to lose while right tackle began spring as a battle between Tegra Tshabola and Zen Michalski.
Tshabola, a redshirt freshman from Lakota West who like Hinzman did not enroll until last summer, confirmed early in spring the transition from guard to tackle was a big challenge, but Day has expressed hope big things are in store for him eventually.
Tshabola’s chances of winning the job might have gotten a boost when Michalski suffered an undisclosed injury, but there is a long way to go until the season-opener at Indiana in September.
“It’s hard to tell right now,” Day said when asked about his confidence in the offensive line. “I think there are some good things going on, but we need some guys to step up.”
Saturday’s game
Ohio State Spring Game, Noon, BTN
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