Eric Boggs
The Ohio State Buckeyes wrapped up their first weekend of practice with their fourth day of training camp, which was open to fans for the final time. This provided another opportunity to observe the ongoing competitions at quarterback and on the offensive line. The Buckeyes’ preparation for the 2024 season is in full swing, with standout performances and some challenges emerging across the roster.
Offense
Sunday wasn’t the best day for Ohio State’s quarterbacks, but Will Howard continued to be the most consistent performer among them. Howard took nearly all the first-team reps during 11-on-11 drills, except for one where Julian Sayin threw a pick-six to Jermaine Mathews Jr., resulting in Sayin’s demotion to the third-team offense. Howard excelled in short-to-intermediate passing, though he struggled with deep passes.
Julian Sayin had his worst day of camp so far, almost throwing another interception during 7-on-7 drills. However, he finished strong with a deep-ball touchdown throw to Brandon Inniss. Devin Brown worked with the second-team offense and showed inconsistency in his accuracy. Lincoln Kienholz, seeing action with both the second- and third-team offense, made an impressive deep throw to Inniss.
The offensive line saw some shuffling, with Donovan Jackson resting, allowing Austin Siereveld to take first-team reps at left guard. Seth McLaughlin and Tegra Tshabola joined him at center and right guard, respectively. At one point, McLaughlin moved to left guard, Luke Montgomery took center, and Carson Hinzman played right guard. The offensive line’s standout performers in one-on-one drills were tackles Josh Simmons and Josh Fryar, along with McLaughlin, who excelled for the second day in a row.
Defense
Ohio State’s defense appeared dominant once again, with significant contributions from its depth players. Jermaine Mathews Jr. had a standout day, breaking up a pass in 7-on-7 drills and picking off a pass for a touchdown. He also recorded a sack on a blitz. Fellow cornerback Calvin Simpson-Hunt intercepted a pass from Devin Brown, adding to his impressive performance from Friday.
In pass rush drills, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. executed a spin move to win one rep and used his speed to win another. Among the starters, Sonny Styles continued to take most of the first-team reps at Will linebacker, showing proficiency in both pass coverage and run defense.
Walk-on safety Brenton “Inky” Jones impressed with his coverage, nearly securing a one-handed interception on an underthrown pass by Devin Brown. His performance was a highlight in the special teams segment of practice.
Special Teams
The special teams unit had mixed results on Sunday. Punter Nick McLarty, despite some inconsistencies, managed to down two punts at the 1-yard line during a pooch punt drill. Anthony Venneri and Joe McGuire also excelled in this drill, each downing a punt at the 2-yard line.
Ohio State’s fourth day of training camp offered a glimpse into the team’s ongoing preparations for the upcoming season. While the offense, particularly the quarterbacks, faced some challenges, there were notable individual performances. The defense continued to show its strength, and special teams had its moments of excellence. As the Buckeyes move forward in their training camp, the competitions and standout performances will be crucial in shaping the team for the 2024 season.
