Ohio State football: Buckeyes make big addition via graduate transfer

A three-star recruit from Media, Pa., Jackson started 11 games last season at right guard after starting five games at center in 2017.

Left tackle Thayer Munford is the only returning full-year starter from 2018.

Miamisburg native Josh Myers is penciled in as the replacement to All-American center Michael Jordan while fellow sophomore-to-be Wyatt Davis is expected to claim one of the open guard spots after finishing last season there in the place of the injured Demetrius Knox, who is out of eligibility.

With left guard Malcolm Pridgeon and right tackle Isaiah Prince both graduating, too, coach Greg Studrawa will have a lot of work to do rebuilding his starting unit this spring.

Rising seniors Branden Bowen and Josh Alabi are the favorites to move into the starting lineup based on experience, but the addition of Jackson gives Studrawa another option and more depth.

Aside from the projected top five (and now Jackson), Ohio State has five scholarship players on the roster this spring: junior-to-be Gavin Cupp, redshirt freshmen Max Wray, Matthew Jones and Nicholas Petit-Frere and true freshman Ryan Jacoby scholarship players.

Jackson’s addition also means someone will be leaving the Ohio State roster before the start of preseason camp.

Head coach said on National Signing Day the team was at 84 scholarships, but the signing of Dawand Jones that evening meant the Buckeyes were at the limit of 85.

How that spot opens up remains to be seen, though post-spring transfers have become regular occurrences in recent years.

Ohio State begins spring football next week.