Ohio State has long had one of the best offensive lines in the country. Credit to offensive line coach Greg Studrawa. But in 2021, the Buckeyes may transition from "one of the best offensive lines in the country" to "the best offensive line in the country."
The Scarlet and Gray return three offensive linemen that started the vast majority of last season in fifth-year senior left tackle Thayer Munford, fourth-year junior right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and junior left guard Harry Miller. Expected new starters in redshirt junior Matthew Jones and sophomore Paris Johnson each got experience in big moments last year and junior Dawand Jones, who will contend for a starting spot in the fall, also has a number of snaps under his belt over his first two seasons.
While that's a good amount of experience returning from a team that lost two-time All-American Wyatt Davis and a second-team All-American in Josh Myers to the NFL Draft, that's not even the most telling stat that the Ohio State offensive line is primed for a big year in 2021.
Pro Football Focus recently put out its list of the lowest quarterback pressure percentage allowed by returning Power Five offensive tackles. The No. 1 player on the list, allowing pressure just 1.2 percent of the time, was Munford. The second player on the list was Petit-Frere, who allowed pressure on just 1.7 percent of snaps. These two were the only returning offensive tackles to allow pressures on fewer than two percent of dropbacks.
While this stat only looks at two of the five positions, the tackle spots are the most important when it comes to passing the ball. While the Buckeyes have not yet named a starting quarterback to replace first-round NFL Draft pick Justin Fields, the Scarlet and Gray will start a player -- either CJ Stroud, Jack Miller or Kyle McCord, -- who is yet to attempt a pass in college. Having tackles on the outside in Munford and Petit-Frere, who don't allow much pressure, gives whoever starts at quarterback a bit more peace of mind when dropping back to throw.
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Other than Munford and Petit-Frere, Ohio State still has to determine how the rest of the offensive line will look in 2021. After playing guard last year, Miller could move back to center, where he was a backup to Myers as a freshman two years ago, or continue lining up next to Munford. Matthew Jones also can play either guard position or at center. Johnson, the top tackle prospect in the 2020 class, got experience at guard a year ago and worked there during the spring. Dawand Jones impressed when given his opportunity throughout his career. Additionally, redshirt freshman Luke Wypler made strides in the spring and could be in the mix at center.
But having a strong foundation with two of the top tackles returning in college football will be a good place for the Buckeyes' offensive line to begin.