The Ohio State Buckeyes had a bit of a Brian Hartline problem throughout the 2025 season. For whatever reason, Hartline's offense produced spectacular performances from Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith all year, but the running game severely lacked until late in the season when Ryan Day took over, and Bo Jackson started showing himself as potentially the best RB in the Big Ten. That's the USF Bulls' problem now on the Hartline front.
In 2026, Arthur Smith is taking over play-calling duties. That may be enough to promote improvement. CBS Sports' Blake Brockermeyer believes the team's new interior offensive line, which now includes Austin Siereveld, moving over from left tackle to right guard, alongside center Carson Hinzman and left guard Luke Montgomery, is the OL's strength.
Brockermeyer worries about Ian Moore sliding into the left tackle spot, though he predicts right tackle Phillip Daniels to be the highest-drafted lineman of anyone in Scarlet and Gray. There are no worries about the IOL from Brockermeyer, though.
"The strength of the unit is the interior, anchored by Carson Hinzman, who has logged nearly 2,200 career snaps. Hinzman is a steady, dependable player who excels in pass protection and thrives in Ohio State's zone-running schemes," Brockermeyer wrote.
"Returning starters Luke Montgomery and Austin Siereveld boast more than 2,500 combined career snaps. Montgomery is a tough, blue-collar player, while Siereveld slides inside from left tackle and should provide a boost to the running game. Based on last season's tape, he's one of the nation's better run blockers."
If this is the case, well, game on RB room. No time to waste with the team's championship clock ticking after a nearly $45 million NIL spend this past offseason.
Ohio State's RB room improving is one of the safest bets in CFB
Truthfully, not a second of sleep from a single Buckeye fan should be lost about the RB room ahead of the 2026 season. There's not a safer bet across the sport to see improvement this fall, for a multitude of reasons.
First and foremost is the aforementioned Smith addition. After what he accomplished with Derrick Henry on the Tennessee Titans, Smith deserves the benefit of the doubt with RBs. The level of defenses he will be calling plays against is far below what he's proven he can thrive against.
Obviously, the improved IOL, with Siereveld at his most natural position, is another reason to be high on Ohio State's 2026 prospects. Addition by subtraction without Tegra Tshabola could be transformational.
The Buckeyes' RB room is deeper now than ever, though. Jackson is clearly RB1, for now, but Isaiah West is right behind him. Legend Bey has perhaps the highest ceiling on the team; Florida Gators transfer Ja'Kobi Jackson could be a sleeper depth piece, plus Anthony “Turbo” Rogers and Favour Akih have the athletic tools to become surprise contributors early.
Between the six of them, OSU's RBs should be able to push this thing forward significantly after a quiet 2025 for the room by and large. Smith's heavy personnel sets are conducive to success at the position. The depth is there. And most importantly, the IOL has the capacity to be part of the solution.
Now, the horses need to run free and powerfully out of the stable in Cbus. We'll see if the Buckeyes' backfield is ready to meet the moment in about a month and a half.
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