The Ohio State football team will lose two of their offensive linemen to the NFL Draft this year. Both Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere will be drafted next month. That leaves two open starting spots for the Buckeyes to fill on the offensive line.
With Harry Miller medically retiring, that leaves four people who have played significant snaps left on the offensive line: Dawand Jones, Luke Wypler, Paris Johnson Jr., and Matt Jones. Jones didn’t start last year but is probably one of the frontrunners to win a starting guard spot this season.
Many thought that Donovan Jackson would simply slide over to guard and take that spot. But according to Ryan Day, there is another player who has inserted himself into the mix. He mentioned when talking to the media that Enokk Vimahi is pushing for a starting spot.
Vimahi is a 6’4, 310-pound junior that hasn’t seen much playing time. He certainly hasn’t played in any meaningful games. That doesn’t mean he isn’t talented. He came in as a four-star recruit from Hawai’i in the 2019 class. He has upside, he just hasn’t gotten the playing time yet.
If Vimahi ends up taking one of those guard spots, Jackson could end up being the odd man out. He was more highly touted as a recruit as he was listed as the 19th-best player in the country and was a five-star guy in last year’s class. He would certainly start next year though.
Vimahi only has two years left though. Jones is a graduate already so he’s done after this year. Jackson would easily slide in next year as a starter if he isn’t able to beat out either of those guys this season. I’m just surprised that Vimahi has looked this sharp so far.
There’s still plenty of time to go before the final depth chart needs to be settled, but this is something worth keeping an eye on for sure.