Transfer offensive lineman visiting Ohio State football days after Cotton Bowl calamity

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football’s offensive line spent a season gradually earning confidence, then gave a lot of it back against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.

That four sacks-allowed performance underscored the need to upgrade the position in the offseason if possible. That will need to happen through the transfer portal, and a new candidate has emerged.

Per multiple reports, former Troy offensive lineman Derrick Graham is visiting Columbus on Wednesday. The 6-foot-4, 314-pound tackle has two remaining seasons of eligibility.

Graham started all 13 games for the Trojans, allowing 19 pressures and three sacks per Pro Football Focus. He also contributed one of the highlights of bowl season when he scored a 2-yard touchdown against Duke in the Birmingham Bowl.

Ohio State could return both starting tackles in Josh Simmons and Josh Fryar, who was a first-team All-Big Ten pick by league media. However, the entire offensive line struggled to protect Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz in the Cotton Bowl. A major problem area last spring, the unit held up reasonably well in pass protection during the season and made progress in run blocking over the course of 12 games.

The performance at AT&T Stadium, though, showed more talent and increased competition across the board are necessary to raise the level of security for the yet-unidentified 2024 starting quarterback.