Ohio State Buckeyes: Offensive line coming together as opener nears

With nine months passing between full-contact practice sessions, perhaps none of them faced greater challenges than offensive line coach Greg Studrawa.

After all, how do offensive linemen get better without running into people?

“We can run around in our underwear out there all you want and say, ‘Oh that’s a great job,’ but until you gotta block somebody and move somebody from point A to point B,” he said before switching thoughts mid sentence.

"You know we tried to simulate that as best we could during this COVID thing, but until we can get the pads on and go (we don’t know.) We worked it the entire summer through video before we got back here in June, and then through walkthroughs and things like that, trying to get them in the best situation without having the contact.”

After fielding one of the top units in the nation last season, Studrawa is optimistic the Buckeyes will be among the best up front again this year.

Starters Josh Myers, Wyatt Davis and Thayer Munford are back, and almost all of his options to fill out the rest of the depth chart have at least some game experience.

That begins with the new starters — sophomores Jack Miller and Nicholas Petit-Frere — and extends to many of the likely members of the second team as well.

Miller, set to take over at left guard, was the backup center last season and saw action in 13 of 14 games (including special teams) while Petit-Frere, the new right tackle, played in all 14 games last season, including one start for an injured Munford at left tackle.

Behind them, sophomore Dawand Jones played in nine games last season and is another option at guard or tackle while sophomore Matthew Jones was the backup right guard and redshirt freshman Enoch Vimahi got into three games.

The outliers are true freshmen Paris Johnson Jr., who is expected to continue vying for time at right tackle, and Luke Wypler, who enters the season as the No. 2 center.

“Matt Jones and Enoch have been really, really good,” Studrawa said. "They both developed in the offseason. They’re bigger, they’re stronger. They’ve got a better understanding of the game. They both got playing time last year, game experience in there in certain situations, so inside I like those two guys in there.

“Then outside we got Paris and Dawand at tackle. Both outstanding talents and young men. They’re just still picking things up and learning things on the run, but they’re doing a great job.”

Wypler, a four-star recruit from New Jersey, reminds Studrawa of Miller, who jumped into the role of second-team center last season before moving positions to get onto the field this year.

“It’s almost a mimic of Harry,” Studrawa said. “He’s a really smart, intelligent football kid. He’s tough, he’s picked things up there at the center spot. He’s been running the No. 2 center for a long time now, so all five of those guys I think are continuing to grow as we move forward.”

Among the three returning starters, Myers and Davis are looking to build on strong first seasons as starters at center and right guard, respectively, while Munford is anticipating a bounce-back year at left tackle.

A senior from Cincinnati who finished his high school career in Massillon, Munford was a 2019 second-team All-Big Ten pick but had some ups and downs, his second starting at left tackle.

Studrawa attributed some of that to a back injury that disrupted Munford’s 2019 offseason and lingered into the fall.

“The back was healthy, but he missed nine months of strength and conditioning,” Studrawa said. “And I mean the powerful strength and conditioning, the heavy lifting, the heavy aspects.”

Although Munford was the Day 1 starter last season, the coach said he did not feel at his best until halfway through the campaign.

“Now he’s in the best shape of his life,” Studrawa said. “His weight is 318. He seems quicker than he was last year to me, and his strength levels are back up. He’s got some more drive, leg power coming off the football. I’ve noticed the other day in the scrimmage he was driving guys down the field, and I didn’t see that a lot from him last year. Was spotty. Wasn’t consistent.”

Munford confirmed he had struggles physically last season but said he felt the need play through them to set an example for his younger teammates.

“After watching my last year’s film, I knew it wasn’t 100%,” Munford said. “I knew I wasn’t powerful in my run game. I knew I wasn’t like as fluid as I am right now in my pass sets, and that motivated me so much that I just want to go out there and compete and dominate whoever is in front of me right now. I’m gonna have fun doing it. We’re all gonna have fun doing it, but also it’s like this is business for me.”

His coach can see that.

“He has nothing holding him back now,” Studrawa said. “He’s not worried about what’s going to happen with that back or anything like that. He’s passed those tests, and so he’s ready to let it loose. It’s really exciting because he really feels good mentally. He’s really in a good place.”