Ohio State coach Ryan Day began preseason training camp aiming for it to take little more than a week for the Buckeyes to solidify their starting offensive line.
But returning left tackle Austin Siereveld missed a couple of practices with an unspecified injury, delaying plans to settle on a potential combination by this point on the preseason calendar.
Siereveld is not expected to be out for an extended period of time. Day said on Aug. 15 that he is due to return next week.
“The good news is we have depth,” Day said. “There’s multiple guys that we are going to feel good about putting in the game. But we’re still not exactly where we need to be in terms of where everybody is going to be at.”
Siereveld is one of the bigger variables for the line, making his absence a complicating factor as the Buckeyes sort through their options up front. Before he moved to left tackle last year, Siereveld made seven starts at left guard in 2024.
The experience could allow the Buckeyes to move Siereveld to right guard in order for Ian Moore, a promising redshirt sophomore, to take over as the starting left tackle.
The Buckeyes opened training camp with Siereveld at right guard and Moore at left tackle with the first-team offense. They then reconfigured it during the following practices with Siereveld at left tackle and Josh Padilla at right guard.
Ohio State’s first three preseason practices were open to ticketed fans and reporters, but the rest of camp has been closed, leaving any more shuffling on the offensive line out of sight.
Despite the moving parts, Day reiterated he was pleased with the line following their first preseason intrasquad scrimmage.
“They’re playing with a lot of confidence right now,” Day said. “They came off the field feeling good with where they’re at and the work they’re putting in. They’re communicating at a high level. That part is good.”
The offensive line is experienced. The Buckeyes returned four of their five starters from last season, including center Carson Hinzman, left guard Luke Montgomery and right tackle Phillip Daniels, along with Siereveld.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football's search for starting offensive line delayed by injury