Over the past couple of years, the Buckeyes have struggled with some injuries along the offensive line. In 2024, they had two offensive linemen go down with season-ending injuries. That thrust George Fitzpatrick onto the field. However, that didn't end very well.
Because of how poorly he played, Ohio State had to move Donovan Jackson to left tackle and bring Carson Hinzman back from the doghouse to play center. After the season, Fitzpatrick transferred. He was hoping to start this year for Kansas State. Now he will miss the entire 2026 season.
Former Ohio State OL George Fitzpatrick still dealing with a medical emergency
According to Wildcats head coach Collin Klein, Fitzpatrick is still not medically cleared to play. Therefore, he will miss the entire 2026 season. In fact, in his announcement, it sounds like Fitzpatrick might not be able to continue playing football since he hasn't hit certain benchmarks.
Collin Klein’s full statement on offensive linemen George Fitzpatrick and John Pastore being out for the season. pic.twitter.com/Pq3RTIFj1O
— Toby Hammes (@toby_hammes) August 20, 2026
"Because of the timing of his not clearing some of these benchmarks, for his best interest and his health, the doctors have recommended that he not play this season. Football is still not out of the question in his future by any stretch, but his long-term health and safety have always been at the forefront."
This is a huge disappointment for Fitzpatrick. He had a medical issue about a month ago that has kept him off the field. Since then, he has been working hard to get back to practice. Unfortunately, he won't be able to do anything for the Wildcats this season.
Based on Klein's statement, Fitzpatrick might not be able to play football at all anymore. That would certainly be a sad turn of events for a former Buckeye who was ready for a fresh start. By all accounts, he had improved enough in the spring from what he showed at Ohio State to be a viable starter.
Ohio State offensive linemen have had a lot of tough injuries to deal with
In Ryan Day's tenure, the offensive line room has suffered a myriad of tough and strange injuries. As mentioned before, both Seth McLaughlin and Josh Simmons suffered season-ending injuries in 2024. Before that, Harry Miller stopped playing football due to mental health struggles.
Last season was the first year in quite a while that the Ohio State Buckeyes didn't have to deal with a significant change up front. They are hoping for that same situation this year, as their offensive line seems to be set. Ryan Day will confirm the starting lineup with the media soon, though.
Fitzpatrick was seemingly a good teammate during his time at Ohio State, even if he didn't get the playing time he was hoping for. I certainly hope that he is able to return to football next year and get another shot at playing. If he wants to stop playing, it should be on his terms.
As for Kansas State, they had their starting left tackle go down with a season-ending injury, as well. It's a tough start for Klein's first year as a head coach.
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