Ohio State football: The ceiling of Paris Johnson Jr.

The Ohio State football player will be in a starting role this season for the first time in his career. His ceiling is as high as any offensive lineman the Buckeyes have.

Paris Johnson Jr. was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and the number one tackle in the country back in 2020. He played sparingly as a freshman, only filling in during times of injury or  when COVID struck the team in the middle of the year.

Now Johnson will have a chance to start and really show his skills. Johnson will likely end up starting at one of the guard spots. He won’t get a chance to move to tackle yet with Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere both still at tackle.

Johnson has the ability to be one of the best offensive linemen in recent Ohio State history. He has all of the size and skill needed to be a truly great player. He now just needs the experience and the opportunity to show what he can do. Johnson will get both of those things in 2021.

Even if Johnson has to start at guard this year, it will help him become a better tackle in the future. It will also help his future draft stock. NFL teams love offensive linemen that can play multiple positions. Versatile linemen are hard to come by.

Ohio State too loves to have versatile linemen on their roster. Johnson is someone who can push the defensive line when the Buckeyes run the ball. He also has the ability to block the best pass rusher on an opposing team. He will have to do so next season once Munford is gone.

Johnson Jr. will soon be the best offensive line prospect the Buckeyes have had in the last 10 years. As long as he stays healthy, that will be the case.