The Ohio State football team has a lot of new faces this season. After winning the national championship in 2024, the Buckeyes have a bunch of starters they have to replace. That's especially true on defense, where they see eight starters leave from last year's team.
While they will have to replace a lot of contributors from last year's team, there are some players who could see some reductions in their snap counts in 2025. Part of that is because of roster reshuffling, while for others it's because of really good freshmen coming in.
1. Tegra Tshabola
One of the reasons why the Ohio State Buckeyes were able to win the national title is because of the depth they had on the offensive line. After suffering two season-ending injuries up front, they were able to find a combination that worked for the CFP run.
Tegra Tshabola was one of the players who was shuffled in and out during that run. The issue is that he was never seen as a true starter. They ended up using Austin Siereveld and Luke Montgomery as the starting guards. That might happen again this season.
Of the offensive linemen fighting for spots at guard, Tshabola could be the one who is left out in the cold. He could see his snaps reduced as he ends up being a backup. The Buckeyes could still use him if injuries pile up again, though.
2. Luke Montgomery
As mentioned, Montgomery started getting some snaps at the end of the season when the Buckeyes decided to slot him in as the left guard. He played well in the CFP, so he has a real shot to land the starting left guard spot.
If he doesn't, the Buckeyes could turn to Tshabola as one of the starting guards instead. They are experimenting with Siereveld at left tackle, but that still doesn't seem to be the spot he'll start at. This offensive line shuffle could leave either Montgomery or Tshabola out of the fold.
3. Lorenzo Styles
Lorenzo Styles did not start last year, but he got quite a few snaps as a backup. He interchanged between safety and nickel corner,and has the inside track to more snaps this year if the Buckeyes keep the same base defense as they did a year ago.
The issue is that it seems like Matt Patricia wants to play multiple defenses. That could leave Styles with fewer opportunities to see meaningful snaps. That's especially true if he is the nickel corner because freshman Devin Sanchez is going to be nipping at his heels.
These three Buckeyes could find themselves with fewer snaps than they want this season.