Ohio State football: The most important positional battle this offseason

The Ohio State football team will have a ton of guys back for the 2024 season. Almost their entire secondary comes back, most of their defensive line returns, and the running back room got even stronger. Yet, there still are some positions that will have battles this Spring.

No other positional battle will be as important as the one at right tackle. Josh Fryar was the starting right tackle last year and was really bad. He was the weakest link on an offensive line that was the weakest unit on the team. Now, he's fighting for his job.

Luke Montgomery is coming for it. Montgomery is a four-star recruit that wasn't quite ready to play much last year. He didn't have the weight he needed to survive starting on the offensive line against Big Ten opponents. That's changed now a year into his college career.

Montgomery is one of the most talented guys Ohio State has on the offensive line. It would make all the sense in the world to put him at tackle and have Fryar the odd man out. There has even been talk of moving Fryar to right guard and then Carson Hinzman would be the odd man out.

I think that would be a mistake. To me, the best combination on the offensive line (as the roster is currently constructed) would be Simmons, Jackson, Hinzman McLaughlin, and Montgomery. I wouldn't mind the Buckeyes jumping into the portal to grab another tackle to replace Simmons either.

That right tackle battle is the most important one because of how bad the offensive line was a year ago. Both tackles can't be liabilities anymore. It will help that the Ohio State football team will have a more mobile quarterback next year, but the pocket can't collapse every third down.

I'm hopeful that competition will bring out the best in both Fryar and Montgomery. Whoever emerges out of the Spring and early Fall practices is the better player and should start.