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COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 22: Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Luke Montgomery (51) stands with offensive lineman Austin Siereveld (67) and tight end Max Klare (86) during the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Ohio State Buckeyes on November 22, 2025, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Ohio State’s most important offensive line question might not be whether the Buckeyes have enough talent. It is whether they can align that talent in the way that gives the entire unit its highest ceiling.
Left tackle sits at the center of that conversation.
Austin Siereveld handled the job last season and started all 14 games there, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and media. But even with that success, the long-term debate has not gone away, because Siereveld still projects more naturally inside at guard for many evaluators, while Ohio State has several younger true tackle bodies waiting behind him.
That is what makes this battle so interesting. Ohio State is not choosing between a proven starter and a bunch of longshots. It is choosing between the safest answer or the one that could unlock the offensive line’s best version.
Ryan Day recently said the Buckeyes believe they can go, “seven or eight deep,” up front, and the names he referenced make it clear the staff sees real competition coming at tackle.
Austin Siereveld is the safe answer, and still a very good one
Siereveld’s case starts with trust. He has already done the job, and he did it while playing somewhat out of position.
The 6-foot-5, 325-pound lineman was one of Ohio State’s four captains in 2025, started every game at left tackle, and had already shown his value in 2024 by starting six games at guard during the Buckeyes’ national championship season.
He is versatile, durable, and already battle-tested in big spots.
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That matters because left tackle is not a developmental luxury position at Ohio State. It is the spot protecting the quarterback’s blind side against the best edge rushers on the schedule, including Texas in Week 2.
If the Buckeyes want the highest floor at left tackle on opening day, Siereveld is still the most logical answer. He already proved he can survive there against top competition, and even if many NFL evaluators think his future is inside, college football is more about what a player can do now than where scouts think he fits two years from now.
Still, the move him back to guard argument is real. If Siereveld is one of your five best linemen no matter what, and his traits are best optimized inside, then Ohio State’s line may become better overall if someone else can seize left tackle.
That is the tension here. Siereveld may be the safest left tackle, but he might also be the best right guard or left guard on the roster.
Ian Moore has the highest tackle ceiling in the room
If there is one player who could truly change the shape of the line, it is Ian Moore. He is a natural tackle body at 6-foot-6 and 312 pounds, and he is exactly the type of player Ohio State needs to develop if it wants to stop solving tackle with interior players and start solving it with true edge protectors.
Moore’s case is rooted in projection, but not blind projection. He impressed in limited action last year and is on a trajectory to become one of Ohio State’s top two tackles. Other preseason depth chart reads have gone a step further and slotted him directly into the left tackle conversation.
That is significant because it suggests people close to the program do not view him as a developmental body anymore. They view him as a player pushing toward the front of the room.
And if Moore hits, the ripple effect is enormous. Ohio State could slide Siereveld back inside, keep Phillip Daniels at right tackle, and suddenly field a line with more natural position fits across all five spots.
That is the version of the offensive line with the highest upside. It is also the one that requires Moore to prove very quickly that his spring flashes can hold up in real games.
Carter Lowe looks like the next true tackle, but 2026 may be too early
Carter Lowe is probably the cleanest long-term tackle projection in the room behind Moore.
He enrolled early in 2025, went through spring practice, and came to Ohio State as one of the top tackle recruits in the country. Depending on the service, he finished as a top-80 overall prospect nationally and a top-10 offensive tackle in the class.
His recruiting profile emphasized exactly what programs want outside, size, physicality, athleticism to stay at tackle, and the flexibility to survive on an island. Ohio State’s roster lists him at 6-foot-6 and 313 pounds.
The question with Lowe is less about talent and more about timing. Redshirt freshmen can win jobs at Ohio State, but offensive tackle is one of the hardest positions on the roster to hand to a young player before he is fully ready.
Day’s recent comments grouped Lowe with the younger tackles who need to keep progressing, which sounds less like future starter immediately and more like important developmental piece who could force the issue if he jumps.
That does not make Lowe unimportant to 2026. Quite the opposite. If he takes a leap in spring or early camp, he could absolutely make the staff rethink the lineup. But entering March, he still feels more like the next tackle than the immediate answer.
Sam Greer is the dream build, but asking a freshman to win this job is a lot
Then there is Sam Greer, the true freshman with the classic high-ceiling tackle profile.
He signed with Ohio State as one of the better offensive tackle recruits in the 2026 class, checking in as a top-60 overall national prospect and a top-10 tackle, with recruiting evaluations consistently pointing to his length, coordination, power, and true left tackle frame. Depending on the listing, he has been measured in the 6-foot-7 to 6-foot-8 range and around 315 to 323 pounds.
The appeal is obvious. If you were building an Ohio State left tackle in a lab, it would look a lot like Greer. But the reality is just as obvious. Starting on the offensive line at Ohio State as a true freshman is brutally difficult, and starting at left tackle is even harder.
The technical and mental load is massive, especially with Texas waiting in the second game of the season. Greer’s future could be huge, but the more realistic view is that he enters 2026 as a talented depth piece unless he has an exceptional spring and summer.
The most likely answer, and the most dangerous one
If Ohio State had to play a game tomorrow, Austin Siereveld would probably still be the best bet at left tackle. He has the resume, the trust, and the production.
But if the Buckeyes want to maximize the line rather than just stabilize it, the most important player in this battle is Ian Moore. Moore is the one who can unlock the lineup that makes the most sense structurally.
That is why this battle matters so much. It is not just about who starts at left tackle. It is about whether Ohio State can get a true tackle to seize the job and let one of its best linemen return to what might be his best position.
If that happens, the Buckeyes’ offensive line could go from solid to one of the better units in the country. If it does not, they still have a trustworthy answer in Siereveld.
Either way, left tackle will be one of spring’s most consequential position battles in Columbus.
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