Ryan Day is giving clues for the right guard starter for the Ohio State football team

While Ohio State fans have been wondering all through the off-season who will be the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback, they have been absolutely fretting over the situation at right guard. Who will be the starter? Is there a leader or even a viable candidate? Ryan Day’s comments in the last ten days or so might give us a bit of insight. This is what he said early last week,

"Carson Hinzman and Seth (McLaughlin) they both can swing between center and guard, but then Tegra Tshabola is another guy that has stepped up and had another good summer."

- Ryan Day

But when Day was asked about Tshabola after the team’s first workout of camp, he said the redshirt sophomore needs to show he knows what he’s doing and can do it consistently. This tells me Hinzman and McLaughlin are clear leaders as camp begins.

Luke Montgomery is another name Day mentioned last week, but I think it is obvious he has a lot of ground to make up if he’s going to win the position. Although he drew rave reviews from the OSU defensive linemen he faced in spring practice, Montgomery seemed to steadily slide down the depth chart.

If the opener against Akron was being played tomorrow, I’d say the more experienced McLaughlin (24 career starts at Alabama before transferring to the Buckeyes) would be at center, and Hinzman, last year’s starter at center, would be the starter at right guard.

But the opener isn’t tomorrow. Camp has just started and there is a long way to go until the Buckeyes take the field at the Shoe on August 31st. Tshabola may be behind right now, in my opinion, but he understands what he needs to do. I think he’s going to push for the job through the opening game and beyond.

If the Buckeyes are going to make a run at a national title, there can’t be a weak link up front. I want to see someone seize the starting job and not win it because the coaching staff has to settle for the best option.

Ryan Day may not be giving a specific pecking order at right guard, but I think his comments tell us where things currently stand. Listen closely to his updates, they’ll tell you a lot.