At the end of the 2025 season, the Ohio State football team lost its last two games due to poor offensive line play. The guys up front did not allow Julian Sayin enough time to survey the field, which resulted in the Buckeyes not being able to score enough points.
The run blocking was not enough, either. Ryan Day will have four of his five starters from this past season back for 2026, only losing Tegra Tshabola. He was the weakest starter, so that will be an addition by subtraction for the Ohio State Buckeyes. They are trying to improve the trenches on the recruiting trail, as well.
With the Transfer Portal closed, the Buckeyes have fully turned their attention to the 2027 recruiting class. They have already managed to land the top overall recruit in that class. Now they are in the final four for an elite five-star recruit up front.
Ohio State football program in the final four for five-star offensive line recruit
The best interior offensive lineman in the country, Maxwell Hiller, has Ohio State in his final four list of schools. Hiller stands at 6'5 and 300 pounds. Hiller is from Coatesville, PA, and is listed as the 10th-best recruit in the country. Other than the Buckeyes, he has Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida in his final list.
Adding a player like Hiller would certainly help the Buckeyes up the middle on the offensive line. They sometimes struggle to open up holes when running right up the gut. Hiller is someone who does a very good job of moving people and getting to the second level on run plays.
It will be quite a while before Hiller makes a final decision on which school he will attend, but the Buckeyes still have a great shot to bring him in. It will be even longer before recruits officially sign with schools, so Ohio State will have many chances to bring him in.