Succession: Ohio State's future plan for offensive tackle

Justin Frye is in the middle of a rebuilding process on the offensive line.

Ohio State's new offensive line coach and associate head coach for the offense has answers for 2022, but still seems to be looking for options at offensive tackle for 2023 and beyond, all of which is part of his process.

“You’re going to install phase one and then two and three and four,” he said.

So who could be Frye's options in the near future?

Let's take a look.

Previous Positions

Quarterback

Running back

Wide receiver

Tight end

Left tackle

1. Paris Johnson Jr.

2. Zen Michalski

3. George Fitzpatrick

Right tackle

1. Dawand Jones

2. Josh Fryar

3. Grant Toutant

Offensive tackle is a prime example of where Ohio State's offensive line is at heading into the 2022 season.

The starting pair is set, with Dawand Jones, the Buckeyes' No. 1 run blocker (90.6) and No. 4 pass blocker (78.8) in 2021 per Pro Football Focus, remaining on the right side and Paris Johnson Jr., the former five-star tackle that got his first college snaps at guard, replacing Nicholas Petit-Frere on the left side. Between them, Jones and Johnson allowed 25 pressures, 21 hurries, two hits and three sacks in 1,558 snaps a season ago.

After Jones and Johnson, though, there aren't many answers.

Of the non-starters that are returning, Josh Fryar, who's expected to be the sixth-man on the line and one of the direct backups at tackle, has the most snaps with 94. And with Fryar and Ben Christman, among others, missing the spring game and much of spring practice, depth is even more limited, having given chances to players like Grant Toutant and early-enrollee freshman George Fitzpatrick.

Frye said after spring ball that he hopes to have a healthy room by the time fall camp rolls around, along with bringing in three freshmen, two of which could check in at tackle: Tegra Tshabola and Avery Henry.

But the Buckeyes have a desperate need to build up depth on the outside of the offensive line, especially if both Jones and Johnson are off to the NFL after this season.