Buckeyes' Donovan Jackson Assumes Leadership Role Among O-Line Battles

Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson has taken it upon himself to be an outlet for the younger, inexperienced players as the Buckeyes are "clearing the fog" of position battles.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have two names that are clear-cut, slam-dunk, no-doubt starters come week 1 against the Indiana Hoosiers: guards Donovan Jackson and Matt Jones.

There's a conundrum in Buckeyes camp of trying to figure out the best five offensive linemen, then situating said players in the correct tackle and center positions. In addition to Jackson and Jones at left and right guard, respectively, Jimmy Simmons and Tegra Tshabola are competing at left tackle, Josh Fryar and Luke Montgomery at right tackle and Carson Hinzman and Victor Cutler Jr. at center.

Jackson has taken it upon himself as a veteran to be a leader and an outlet for the younger offensive linemen to help gel the room.

"Some guys have more reps. Some guys don't have more reps," Jackson said. "Freshmen are going to be freshmen. They're going to ask questions, and it's just my job to answer them because I've been here for three years now."

Jackson said in the winter strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti challenged the leaders — in the offensive line room being he and Jones — to be an example on how to carry yourself.

The offensive linemen's bond started in the offseason when they'd host cookouts together, Jackson said.

Now, with spring ball and summer workouts shifting into fall camp that bond has translated into competition on the field between the offensive linemen. Jackson said the meetings with offensive line coach Justin Frye and graduate assistant Mike Sollene are "very serious" and that they "get straight to business."

"Every day you got to put up your best because guys moving around, chess pieces like that," Jackson said. "Everyone's going as hard as they can. To me, everyone has a great knowledge of what to do, so I don't feel a difference between if one guy's next to me or one guy's not next to me."

For all the work being put in, though, the elephant in the room remains: do the Buckeyes know who will play and how confident are they that they're starter material?

Jackson believes those questions are on the "right track" of being answered.

"At the beginning of the season it was a giant question mark on all of us," Jackson said. "We're kind of clearing the fog a little bit and trying to get towards our one goal of being five minds as one. We still got a long ways to go. We still got a couple more days of camp to make sure we're all on the same page, a few more hours of meetings.

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