For these three Ohio State football players, it's now or never
By Ryan Stano
![Nov 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA;
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jayden Ballard (9) catches the Nov 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA;
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jayden Ballard (9) catches the](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2671,h_1502,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/151/01hw3fmmwtjk601yp0gh.jpg)
The Ohio State football team produces some of the best talent every single year. Even when the Buckeyes don't advance in the CFP, they still get guys drafted. Those guys produce at the collegiate level and that's what attracts NFL teams to them. Guys that don't produce don't get drafted. It's pretty simple.
There are some guys on the Ohio State football team who are slated to potentially be starters this season. These guys have yet to produce in a meaningful way in their Ohio State careers. They are getting to the point where they need to start producing or they won't ever.
These three players need to make sure that they are able to produce this year. If they don't, their Ohio State football careers will be considered a failure. All of these guys were highly recruited guys out of high school and they all thought they were going to start sooner rather than later.
The first guy on this list started on the offensive line last year but was the worst lineman of the starters.
1. Josh Fryar
The offensive line was the weakest unit on the team a year ago. The right tackle was overmatched in most of the games he played in last year. Quite frankly, he was the worst offensive lineman that the Buckeyes had last season. That was most evident against Michigan.
Fryar was someone who I thought needed to be replaced on the offensive line heading into this year. He either needed to be replaced by Luke Montgomery or by someone in the transfer portal. Will Howard needs time to throw in the pocket and what Fryar did last year won't let him have that.
Ryan Day seems to have a lot of faith in Fryar. In fact, he called him perhaps the most improved player this offseason. What I saw in the Spring Game didn't inspire a lot of faith. He wasn't as bad as Carson Hinzman, but he still wasn't great. He needs to be a lot better in a real game.
If Fryar doesn't start the year off well, he could be benched pretty quickly. He has three games to show that he is an improved offensive lineman. If he can't show the coaches that, he will likely get benched before the Big Ten schedule starts. The Buckeyes can't afford to have another bad offensive line.
The next person on this list was a surprising starter in the Spring Game.