Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere symbolized recent trends in the Ohio State offensive line room.

Munford became a Buckeye as a three-star in 2017, blossoming into a captain and starter after five seasons, and Petit-Frere anchored the end as a tackle before he, too, set his sights on the NFL after four seasons.

The two Buckeyes-turned-pro represented one thing head coach Ryan Day and Ohio State look for in an offensive lineman: versatility.

Munford started at right tackle in 2020, then moved inside and started next to Petit-Frere at left guard after deciding to return to Ohio State for a fifth season. Instead of leaving after three seasons for the professional ranks, Petit-Frere flipped sides from right to left tackle and turned into a third-round pick.

Ohio State hired UCLA offensive line coach Justin Frye in January for its same position after Greg Studrawa and the Buckeyes parted ways following last season. Frye joins the program with past history with Day, coaching at both Boston College and Temple.

The Buckeyes will have some retooling to do under Frye going into 2022. They’ll need to replace two starters, which both come on the left side of the line and protect third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud’s blind spot.

Next up in the Position Previews series in advance of the Buckeyes’ 2022 season is the offensive line room, where a new coach and starting lineup are in the cards.

Here are the offensive linemen listed on Ohio State’s roster:

Third-year Quinton Burke

Redshirt freshman Ben Christman

Freshman George Fitzpatrick

Sophomore Jack Forsman

Sophomore Josh Fryar

Freshman Avery Henry

Freshman Carson Hinzman

Sophomore Jakob James

Sophomore Donovan Jackson

Junior Paris Johnson Jr.

Senior Dawand Jones

Graduate Matthew Jones

Sophomore Trey Leroux

Redshirt freshman Zen Michalski

Senior Ryan Smith

Sophomore Grant Toutant

Freshman Tegra Tshabola

Sophomore Toby Wilson

Third-year Luke Wypler

Junior Enokk Vimahi

Dawand Jones, Matthew Jones and Ryan Smith all have been around college football for some of the most time among Buckeyes. Matthew Jones joined the program prior to the 2018 season and played meaningful snaps last year, appearing in 13 games and making two starts.

Ohio State landed four offensive linemen in its 2022 class, including a trio of four-stars. Tshabola enters the program listed at 6-foot-6 and 356 pounds, while Henry stands the tallest among the quartet at 6-foot-7.

Harry Miller is still part of the Ohio State program and listed on the Buckeyes’ roster. He medically retired citing mental health reasons in March.

Wypler, Johnson, Dawand Jones and Matthew Jones all have starts to their name. While Petit-Frere opted out of the Rose Bowl, Munford bumped back to left tackle and Matthew Jones started at left guard during the Rose Bowl.

Wypler and Johnson earned all of their starts last season, as the former claimed the job at center and the latter at right guard. Dawand Jones also added onto his one previous start with nearly a dozen in 2021, using his 6-foot-8, 360-pound frame to assume the role at right tackle.

Ohio State expects to move Johnson to left tackle for the 2022 season, where he returns to his natural position at tackle. Matthew Jones and Jackson figure to lead the competition for the Buckeyes’ starting offensive guard spots, where they started during the spring game April 16.

Frye brings a new voice to the room

For the last four seasons, Frye coached the offensive line, and he served as UCLA’s offensive coordinator since 2019.

Frye immediately takes over the Buckeyes’ offensive line room, and also assumes the role as associate head coach for offense as Ohio State elevated titles for its offensive coaches this offseason.

He jumps into the Big Ten with some history; Frye captained the offensive line at Indiana and set the program record with 45-consecutive starts made from 2002-06. The territory is familiar for Frye.

What’s new for Frye in 2022 will be the program he’s at and players he coaches. While Ohio State lost two starters to the NFL after last season, four Buckeyes return with starting experience and many more have game reps.

UCLA led the Pac-12 behind an average of 36.5 points per game last season, boasting a top-14 rushing offense in each of the last two years. Frye was at the forefront of the Bruins’ offensive scheme alongside head coach Chip Kelly, who’s also a mentor to Day.

Ohio State’s offense has talented players and capable offensive linemen. They’ll have a new direction to go in under Frye in 2022.

Stroud-Wypler connection is back for Year 2 as starters

Day and Ohio State knew they’d enter last season with a first-time starting quarterback.

They didn’t quite expect a first-time starting center, either.

It was announced prior to the season-opener at Minnesota Week 1 that Miller, the Buckeyes’ presumed starter, would be unavailable, leaving them to turn to their next center in line: Wypler.

Wypler played in just one game during his true freshman season in 2020. He redshirted, then put his head down during spring practice to take over the starting position, forging the center-quarterback connection with Stroud, who became a Heisman Trophy finalist.

That chemistry between Stroud and Wypler is vital to smooth play on the field. Ohio State will have both back in 2022, leaving the Buckeyes with a battery they can be confident in on offense.

Johnson will move to left tackle in 2022

Johnson arrived at Ohio State with a five-star ranking as the No. 1 player from Ohio in the class of 2020.

Through two seasons with the Buckeyes, Johnson already has one year as a starter and played in a College Football Playoff National Championship and Rose Bowl. He manned the right guard spot next to Dawand Jones, who also made his starting debut in 2021.

Entering 2022, the Buckeyes plan to move Johnson back to tackle, which is where they recruited the in-state lineman originally. Ohio State envisions Johnson starting opposite Dawand Jones, giving length to the outside that already packs a punch physically.

Standing 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds himself, Johnson has shown a knack for playing strong in the trenches. Some mock drafts expect the rising-junior to go early in the 2023 NFL draft, when Johnson will be eligible for the first time and likely coming off his second year as a starting Buckeye offensive lineman.

How does Matthew Jones perform in Year 5?

Matthew Jones earned the first start of his career in his fourth season at Ohio State.

The story of a four-star recruit from Brooklyn, New York, who has a passion for automobiles and ventured to Ohio to play for the Buckeyes became deeper in 2021 as Matthew Jones demonstrated what diligence can do in the Ohio State offensive line room.

Now, Matthew Jones gets to step into the spotlight in 2022.

Likely to vie for a starting position at right guard, Matthew Jones slotted in at several positions last season, including center. He started against Akron Week 4 and made a spot start at Nebraska Week 10 when Dawand Jones battled a stomach bug during the first several drives.

At 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, Matthew Jones has shown he can fit inside the offensive line. He’ll have the chance to put more on display in 2022.

Which underclassman rises up the depth chart quickest?

Last season, it was Jackson, and in 2020, it was Johnson.

Who will it be in 2022?

Ohio State’s incoming four-man offensive line class yields three four-stars and one top-35 lineman. Fitzpatrick enrolled early and participated in spring practices.

Vimahi enters Year 4 at Ohio State, while James, Leroux and Toutant all begin Year 3. The quartet have playing time to show, filling the second team of offensive linemen among Buckeyes.

Ohio State has prioritized finding “the best five” to trot onto the field when approaching its offensive line room. Last season, the best five resulted in a shuffled line, seeing 2020 starting left tackle Munford move to left guard, starting right tackle Petit-Frere jump to left and natural tackle Johnson slide inside to right guard.

The Buckeyes will likely hold a competition for their remaining starting spot and the first positions on the depth chart. Looking at a year in which Ohio State could lose four or more starting offensive linemen after the season, the Buckeyes will need to see progress from their depth in order to build for the future.

Ohio State reclaims the Big Ten rushing crown

The Buckeyes’ rushing offense ranked No. 5 in the Big Ten last season, averaging 180.3 yards per game.

2021 marked the first season in which Ohio State didn’t stand atop the conference in rushing offense for the first time since 2018 — also a year in which the Buckeyes had a first-time starting quarterback.

Ohio State’s offensive line paved the way for then-freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson to rush for 1,272 yards and 19 touchdowns but struggled in spurts with rhythm. Penalties such as false starts cost the Buckeyes from maintaining momentum and keeping in step, and Ohio State offensive linemen were flagged for five false starts in its 42-27 loss at then-No. 5 Michigan.

Six Buckeye offensive linemen earned a selection to an All-Big Ten team in 2021, returning Johnson from the Second Team, Dawand Jones from the Third Team and Matthew Jones and Wypler as honorable mentions.

The Buckeyes have a core of nearly an entire starting offensive line save for one spot. Having one season with some playing time under their belts, linemen like Johnson and Wypler will need to pick up on the ground they made in the spring so chemistry with both Jones’ and the remainder of the room can sync together when preseason practices begin in August.

Day wants to see Ohio State have balance on offense to complement Stroud and the passing game. The Buckeyes will point to Frye and returning veterans to lead the charge, looking to install a new coaching philosophy and clearing the way for points on the scoreboard.