Ohio State football: Miamisburg's Josh Myers enjoys productive spring for Buckeyes

The Miamisburg native turned in the type of spring he was hoping he would.

>>SPRING RECAP: Gray tops Scarlet | Punter steals show | 5 takeaways | Photos

“I set a goal out early on in spring to just try and focus on getting better every day, work on the things I need to work on, remaining healthy and getting a lot of reps,” Myers said. “And I think I accomplished all of that this spring and I feel good about it.”

The 6-foot-5, 310-pound sophomore entered spring as the favorite to become Ohio State’s starting center.

He exited it as the starting center.

So what’s next?

The former five-star recruit knows he can’t take anything for granted.

Waiting to play, though a reality for many college players (especially offensive linemen who need time to grow and mature physically to be ready for the rigors of Big Ten trench battles), was a miserable enough experience he has no intention of going back to the bench.

Line coach Greg Studrawa did not have as many players as he would like to work with in the spring, but help is on the way.

Jonah Jackson, a graduate transfer from Rutgers, is likely to be in the mix at guard when he arrives this summer, but he can also play center.

Studrawa said he can see Harry Miller, a five-star prospect from Buford, Ga., earning a spot in the two-deep, too.

Myers hopes to have cemented himself not only as the top dog at center but also a team leader by the time the team reconvenes for preseason practice in July.

“I think me and Wyatt (Davis), Thayer (Munford), all of us will take that into our own hands and do a lot of the leading in the offseason,” Myers said. “At Ohio State our goal is always to be the best offensive line in the country and the best we can possibly be, and I think we’ve got a shot at that.”

>>RELATED: Ohio State hands out championship rings, gold pants while Michigan assistant fumes

Munford is the only returning starter, but Ohio State’s 2018 left tackle sat out all of spring recovering from an unidentified surgical procedure.

The No. 1 line in the spring game consisted of Myers at center with Davis and Branden Bowen at guard while Josh Alabi and Nicholas Petit-Frere were the tackles.

With Munford expected to be back in the preseason, the unit will still be 80 percent new, a reality that brings positives and negatives for Myers.

“To be honest it would probably be easier to slide into a veteran group, but I like the way it is,” Myers said. “I like that it’s a new group and that we’re gonna have to find cohesiveness and get better. I like it.

“I think there were a lot of question marks in the spring. A lot of guys had to prove themselves and a lot of guys stepped up to the plate and took the challenge this spring.”

Including himself.

“I think like it’s been talked about I had things really start clicking during bowl practice, and then I was just able to carry it over into spring,” Myer said. “I think the way I attacked every day in the winter and felt like I had something to prove carried into spring and I had a really solid spring and that’s what I’m happy about.”