Ohio State football: Right tackle battle seems won

Ohio State had been letting two guys fight it out for the starting right tackle spot, but it looks like we have a winner.

The offensive line is a strong point for the Buckeyes this season. Despite losing Jonah Jackson as an All-Big Ten performer from last season, the line should still be very good. The biggest question left to address on the offensive line was right tackle.

The battle for that spot has been between sophomore Nicholas Petit-Frere and true freshman Paris Johnson Jr. Both were the number one tackle coming out of high school, so both have a ton of talent. As of now though, it looks like Petit-Frere has won that fight.

Petit-Frere has gotten the majority of the first-team reps in practice according to coach Day. Day did say though that Johnson will play as well. They really like the talent both players have and they are going to put the most talented players on the field.

My guess is that Johnson will likely spell Petit-Frere and maybe Thayer Munford if they get tired. Most of his playing time this year though will likely be in blowouts. Ohio State stands to have plenty of games that get out of hand this season, so Johnson should still see a lot of the field.

Petit-Frere does have a year under his belt. That does make a difference when two players are so close in talent. Clearly, both players have a wealth of talent. Even if Johnson doesn’t get many first-team reps this season, his future is very bright here in Columbus.