Offensive line injuries forced Ohio State to mix and match up front all year. It didn’t stop the Buckeyes from winning the national championship, but heading into the College Football Playoff, it appeared to be an obvious Achilles heel.
An injury to center Seth McLaughlin was troublesome, but the bigger concern was losing star left tackle Josh Simmons to a season-ending injury of his own in Week 7. Ryan Day and Chip Kelly tried Zen Michalski, then opted to kick All-American left guard Donovan Jackson out to tackle and completely reshuffle the line rather than giving redshirt sophomore George Fitzpatrick an opportunity.
There’s no point in questioning that decision; the trophy case speaks for itself, but in hindsight, maybe Fitzpatrick would’ve been the simpler solution all along. His rise up the Kansas State depth chart and praise from Wildcats head coach Chris Klieman could be the precursor for a season that makes the Buckeyes regret letting Fitzpatrick get away.
Big, big praise from Chris Klieman about George Fitzpatrick
— Drew Galloway (@galloway__drew) July 8, 2025
Former Buckeye George Fitzpatrick thriving at Kansas State
Having been passed over and played just 84 snaps last season despite an injury-riddled year in the trenches, Fitzpatrick opted for the transfer portal this offseason. Along with Michalski, he was one of 15 outgoing transfers from the championship roster, and three offensive tackles.
Rather than elevate Michalski, who had his chance and struggled mightily against Big Ten competition, or Fitzpatrick, who is still unproven at the collegiate level, Ohio State dipped into the portal to replace Simmons after he left to become the first-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2025 NFL Draft. Rice transfer Ethan Onianwa is likely to take over the starting left tackle role in his final season of eligibility, a true stop-gap solution while Fitzpatrick aims to be the long-term answer in Manhattan.
At Big 12 media days, Klieman raved about Fitzpatrick and how quickly he assimilated the program after his early enrollment in the spring, telling reporters, “We needed some older guys as these younger guys grew, and George Fitzpatrick is one that elevated himself.”
Fitzpatrick is in line for the starting role at left tackle and is playing alongside former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard’s younger brother, Ryan, who is a redshirt sophomore on the Wildcats. Will reportedly played a big role in pushing Fitzpatrick towards Kansas State, his former program, before leading the Buckeyes to the title.
Fitzpatrick still has to prove himself in the regular season, an entirely different beast than dominating offseason workouts, but Kansas State appears to view him as a diamond in the rough. If he lives up to that billing, he could make Ohio State regret letting him out the door, especially if Onianwa struggles.
The Rice transfer has three seasons of starting experience and played nearly 500 more snaps than Fitzpatrick last season. In his final year at Rice, Onianwa allowed just 9 pressures and only one sack. That caliber of play will be more than enough for Buckeyes fans to forget Fitzpatrick’s name, if they ever knew it at all. Though translating success from the AAC to the Big Ten is easier said than done.