It’s been less than two months since Ohio State took home the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff with four straight wins over top ten teams, the last of which vs. Notre Dame in the CFP Championship Game. But … believe it or not, spring ball is just around the corner and will begin on Monday. It’ll run through Saturday, April 17, in some form of a spring showcase that isn’t being called a spring game, so we’ll see what that’s all about.
Nevertheless, it means the building blocks of this year’s team will begin to take shape next week and there are plenty of holes to fill from a team that had a ton of veteran talent now off to a little known league known as the — NFL.
We often like to project what the depth chart will be for the Buckeyes as we head through the offseason. Just before spring kicks off feels like a pretty good time to peer into the crystal ball and make some somewhat educated guesses on how things might look with the two-deep when the defending national champions run out of the tunnel of the Horseshoe against the Texas Longhorns on August 30.
Sometimes these exercises are easy (ahem, last year), and sometimes it’s like putting a puzzle together that’s missing several border pieces. With all of the change afoot with new coaches in place and several players competing for starting spots, this is most certainly the latter.
But hey, we get paid to try and sort these type of things out, so off we go starting with the offensive side of the ball. The defensive side and special teams will follow on the heels of our projected two-deep Ohio State football offensive depth chart for the 2025 season.
Quarterback
Starter | Julian SayinBackup | Lincoln Kienholz
Head coach Ryan Day has said that the quarterback battle is an open competition, but it would be a mild shock if Sayin doesn’t take the baton and run with it. He’s the former 5-star top quarterback in the 2024 class and has drawn rave reviews from players in the program. Kienholz has multiple years of experience in the system and will probably have a leg up on 5-star Tavien St. Clair — at least for now.
Running Back
Starter | CJ DonaldsonBackup | James Peoples
Peoples felt like the next man up as the guy that’s been waiting his turn in the program, but then the coaching staff went out and got West Virginia transfer, CJ Donaldson. Ryan Day loves what he saw from a pretty equal two-back approach last year and that’s probably the plan here. There’s a little more proof in the pudding here with the durable experience of Donaldson, so we’ll give him the 1A distinction for now.
Wide Receiver (x)
Starter | Jeremiah SmithBackup | Quincy Porter
Smith will be the best wide receiver in college football and arguably the best player in the game. You can put him down as the starter here in permanent ink. Behind him is a little more unknown than we’ve seen in past years, but where there’s a lack of experience comes no lack of talent. Porter is a highly-regarded prospect that can fill in when needed with still some significant skill to throw at opposing defenses.
Wide Receiver (z)
Starter | Carnell TateBackup | Mylan Graham
Like Smith, Tate would seem to have this spot locked down as a proven commodity and returning starter. Graham might be a breakout candidate and could also see significant time anywhere in the receiving corps but his skill set would seem to make sense right behind Tate, but don’t count him out of backing up Smith on the outside No. 1 slot as well.
Wide Receiver (slot)
Starter | Brandon InnissBackup | Bryson Rodgers
Again, it would seem on the surface that the No. 1 starters at each spot should be pretty locked in, and that’s the case with Innis as well. This is the most likely to go another route though with Graham and potentially Rodgers pushing for time. All three of the backups could shuffle somewhere else, so we’ll see how things play out initially in the spring and what the coaches are thinking early on.
Tight End
Starter | Max KlareBackup | Will Kacmarek
It sure looks like Ohio State’s top two safeties will be former transfers. Kacmarek would have likely nailed down the starting spot, and he’ll still get plenty of time as a great blocking tight end, but Klare was a huge win in the portal. He’s a difference maker and nightmare matchup in the passing game that could add an extra dimension to the OSU offense. Bennett Christian will also get some time, but he feels like a distant third at this point.
Left Tackle
Starter | Ethan OnianwaBackup | Deontae Armstrong
Ohio State went out and got Onianwa out of the transfer portal from Rice for a reason. His experience will be counted on to be penciled in as the starter to protect the quarterback’s blind side. Behind him, the highly-touted Carter Lowe will get a look, but the call is for Deontae Armstrong to get the early nod because of his time in the program.
Right Tackle
Starter | Phillip DanielsBackup | Ian Moore
It’ll be a close competition between the experience of Minnesota transfer Phillip Daniels and Ian Moore, but again, the coaching staff wouldn’t have dipped into the portal to grab Daniels if it didn’t think he’d have a very good chance of nailing down a starting spot. Moore will push though and has shown flashes of being the answer at the right tackle spot. Don’t be surprised if you see this be one of the toughest competitions in the spring.
Left Guard
Starter | Luke MontgomeryBackup | Devontae Armstrong
Montgomery got thrust into the spotlight because of a couple of injuries last season and impressed through the magical run. That means he has the experience and confidence of the coaches from performing when the bright lights were on. Expect him to be the starter here with the backup spot up for grabs and a bit unknown. The other Armstrong twin will compete most likely with Gabe VanSickle to be the next man up. There also could be some shuffling as there almost always is to get the best two-deep possible.
Right Guard
Starter | Tegra TshabolaBackup | Austin Siereveld
This feels like a weak link of the offensive line. Tshabola has the most experience and will likely get the first crack here, but he struggled at times last season. Siereveld was also inconsistent but could develop and push for playing time in what could turn out to be a competition to watch. Also, to get the best five out there, don’t be surprised if another interior offensive lineman finds his way over in this spot.
Center
Starter | Carson HinzmanBackup | Joshua Padilla
Hinzman was the starter here before Alabama transfer Seth McLaughlin showed up and took the spot over to start last season. Karma was kind to Hinzman after perhaps being in the doghouse though when McLaughlin was lost for the year because of injury. He stepped back in and was an anchor on a line that got better and better. There’s little doubt that he’ll be the man in the middle again in 2025. Padilla is a talent waiting his turn and he will be ready to provide relief when needed. It gets pretty then beyond that without shuffling the deck.
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