A series of profiles on members of the Buckeyes’ 2020 recruiting class who redshirted their true freshman seasons, including a look back at how their first year went, and an evaluation of where they stand in the program ahead of 2021.
The Ohio State offensive line was bitten by both COVID-19 and the injury bug at various points through the final four games of the shortened 2020 season, and as a result, several backups along the front line got a shot to build their confidence in crucial moments for the Buckeyes.
Josh Fryar, however, was not among the players that benefited from those opportunities.
With three starters and four key offensive linemen out of the Buckeyes’ Dec. 5 matchup with Michigan State, the three-star Beech Grove, Indiana, prospect saw his first and only live-game action with Ohio State thus far –– all of four snaps –– while several of his stablemates received a much longer leash in the 40-point blowout.
The lack of experience Fryar logged in his first season made it all the more surprising to see the No. 8-ranked center in the 2020 recruiting class taking quite a bit of the first-team reps at left guard for Ohio State during the spring.
“His athleticism is what excited me in recruiting. He was a basketball player,” Buckeye offensive line coach Greg Studrawa said during spring camp. “He’s a guy that’s 6-5, but he has the ability to bend and play really low. Those two things were the things that intrigued me about him when we first got him in recruiting, and it’s only gotten better through training with Mick. Now that he’s getting stronger he’s got a little edge to him, and he’s a guy that’s got some grit. He’s got some toughness. He shows up every day and he’s learning and he’s putting things together, but he’s got some grit, and I like that.”
Despite his obvious improvements though, there’s no doubt that Fryar’s ascent up the depth chart this offseason was buoyed by an injury to rising junior Harry Miller, who was the Buckeyes’ starting left guard for most of this past season.
However, there’s no guarantee that Miller, the No. 44 overall prospect in the class of 2019, will return to the left guard position even when fully healthy.
Miller was listed by Rivals as the No. 2 guard in the country a couple recruiting cycles ago, but as a true freshman in 2019, the Buford, Georgia, product backed up Josh Myers at center. With Myers now gone to the NFL, Miller may move back to the middle, which would help Fryar stay at or near the top of the depth chart at left guard.
Enter Matthew Jones.
With Miller out this spring, the redshirt junior has seen significant time at center, despite never having played the position before. However, Jones also started three games at left guard this past season, including both College Football Playoff appearances.
Those three players are competing for two vacant starting spots, and if experience is the ultimate determining factor, that means Fryar may be the odd man out in 2021.
Things may be complicated for Fryar as things stand, but it doesn’t appear that he’d fall any lower than second on the depth chart at left guard, and there are certainly worse places to be.
Fryar’s versatility may win him even more opportunities sooner or later as well, as Studrawa said during spring camp that he won’t rule out the possibility of a future at tackle for Fryar either.
