Ohio State Football: O-line group in 2020 class a promising one

After taking over as head coach of the Ohio State football team coach Ryan Day hit the road to load up his offensive line unit and he succeeded.

After Cam Martinez signed his letter of intent Wednesday Ryan Day’s first recruiting class as head coach of the Ohio State football team was complete. The class is loaded with talented recruits and ranked as the 5th best in the country.

Let’s look at the players who will soon don the Scarlet and Gray. I’ll begin with the offense and start with the players who make it go, the linemen. Greg Studrawa has to love this bunch.

Parris Johnson Jr. is the star lineman in this year’s class ranked as the No. 1 tackle and the 9th best recruit per the 247Sports Composite. At 6 ft. 7, 290 pounds, he looks like he has the bulk to make the two deep immediately.

There is a good chance he could back up Thayer Mumford at left tackle or compete for the starting job on the right side.

Luke Wypler is 6 ft.2, 285 pounds and is the No. 2 ranked center. He gives coach Studrawa options. Last year center Harry Miller was also ranked as the 2nd best at the position and backed up Josh Myers.

That allowed Matthew Jones, the No. 1 center in the 2018 class, to move to guard. If Wypler progresses as quickly as Miller did last year, that will give coach Studrawa plenty of options.

With Myers and guard Wyatt Davis returning, and these three talented younger guys on board, it will allow him to move players around in the interior as needed and provide plenty of depth.

There are four more offensive linemen in the class with position and overall rankings in the 247Sports Composite.

• OT Grant Toutant 6 ft. 7, 320 pounds:  No. 35, 459
• OG Josh Fryer 6 ft. 5, 305 pounds:  No. 28, 506
• OG Jakob James 6 ft. 5, 285 pounds:  No. 55, 848
• OT Trey Leroux 6. Ft. 8, 355 pounds: No 91

I wouldn’t be concerned about these linemen being ranked as three-star recruits. Jacoby Boren and Pat Elflein were two of the lowest ranked recruits in the 2012 recruiting class and they turned out to be pretty good.

Like Elflein, these four players may have to spend a year in coach Mick’s strength and conditioning program while improving their technique before making an impact. But they average 6 ft. 6 and over 315 pounds so it’s a promising bunch.

The offensive line was a strong suit for the Buckeyes last season and promises to be one again this year. With the way Ryan Day loaded coach Studrawa’s unit in this year’s recruiting class, I think you can expect that to be the case down the road.