Buckeyes Josh Simmons Proving Value As Potential New Starting Left Tackle

Josh "Jimmy" Simmons looks more like the favorite to win the Buckeyes starting left tackle job entering Week 1 of the new season.

When most players decide to enter the transfer portal, they usually have time to adjust to life on campus. 

New Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons isn't like most transfers. He didn't have months to adjust to a new lifestyle in Ohio from sunnyside California, but rather days. 

A new weather forecast. A new position. A new nickname to begin his Buckeyes career? The last one was out of necessity since Ohio State seems to breed Joshes on the 2023 roster. 

“We had to break it up because every time we said Josh, all three would look,” left guard Donovan Jackson said of the former San Diego State offensive tackle. “So Jimmy is his nickname. A lot of people think it is his name, but that’s his nickname.”

It's been a whirlwind three months for Simmons since he decided to leave his hometown and head to Big Ten country, but offensive tackles need to keep their head on swivel. In a sense, learning on the fly actually has become a positive tool for Simmons' progression midway through fall camp. 

“I don’t think comfortable is the word, but I kind of knew what type of program this was,” Simmons said. “I kind of knew that you’re gonna have to really dive head headfirst in this and empty the tank day in, day out. So that’s really what I tried to do.”

When Simmons touched down in Columbus, he envisioned a different pathway toward the starting lineup. According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-6 Simmons played all 799 snaps at right tackle for the Aztecs. 

Now, he's on a collision course to enter the season opener against Indiana as Paris Johnson's replacement at left tackle. And while the general goal of protecting whichever quarterback rarely differs from either side, there are differences from the left to right, thus leading to extra hours in the film room and playbook. 

“Obviously, when you flip sides, it’s going to be an adjustment,” Simmons said. “But with the coaching staff and resources here, I know I’ll be able to do it.”

The work away from practice with offensive line grad assistant Mike Sollenne has paid off. Others are starting to take notice. 

“He’s a more mature guy,” offensive line coach Justin Frye said. “That’s the thing when you get these guys from the transfer portal, they’ve known college football. With some of those younger guys that came mid-year, they’re just first-year guys. He’s been in a locker room, he’s played in college football games. So I think the speed of the game is a little slower than an actual rookie.”

Frye had first-view knowledge of Simmons' potential, having tried to recruit him to UCLA out of high school. Since then, he's watched the newest addition to the offensive line flourish into a prospect with unfathomable potential. 

Others in the trenches have come away impressed by Simmons' "freaky athleticism," including Josh Fryar. Initially, Fryar was viewed as Johnson's replacement on the blind side, but after mixed results in spring practice, he's back on the right side of the line. 

Fryar holds no ill will toward Simmons for the position switch. One play in practice ultimately sealed the deal that the new guy was the best option for a new role.

“I saw him go up on a linebacker, and I was like, ‘God, that guy can move. I wish I had that movement,’” Fryar said.

Switching sides is one adjustment for Simmons. The level of competition is another. He admitted that the speed of defensive linemen JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer caught him off guard during the early stages of practice. 

Because of the speed, Simmons has had to speed his hand timing, an area that Frye thinks in time will make him a more developed talent. 

 “You look back to Zach Harrison last year when he was at the (NFL Scouting) combine and they asked him why his game elevated his senior year. He said, ‘Because I went against the two best tackles in the country every day in practice,'" said Frye. "Well, we get that opportunity as tackles now to make sure that we’re getting great edge looks from all those guys.”

Veterans like Jackson and fellow offensive lineman Enokk Vimahi have noticed Simmons' "sponge" brain elevate his level of play over the past several weeks. The latter has also relied heavily on input from the two longtime Buckeyes in helping him adjust to not just the offense, but also the brotherhood.

Simmons has grown into the program's culture, but the Buckeyes hope he'll soon blossom into the missing link of the offensive line. Simmons is thankful for the praise from his new teammates and Ohio State brethren, but he also knows his development is far from finished. 

Mainly, he knows what the Buckeyes' standards are, even for a player still rolling with the punches. 

Said Simmons: “There’s a lot of expectations. I take it with a grain of salt. Maybe I’m kind of making some progress right now, but I’m still trying to work to get better at it.”

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