The Ohio State Buckeyes are stacked at pretty much every position except for one: offensive line. Despite having four returning starters coming back for the Big 2026, the fans are a bit concerned about the unit after they allowed 10 sacks and 31 pressures in two postseason games. However, instead of rushing directly to the portal, the Buckeyes decided to take a flyer on an ‘in-house’ candidate, third-year lineman Ian Moore. According to the OL coach, Tyler Bowen, it certainly is paying off.

During spring practice, Bowen said Moore was already close to earning more playing time last season.

“He was a guy that we counted on to be the first guy in the game, and I think Ian’s continued to make growth this offseason, and we gotta continue that through the summer and fall camp,” the OL coach said.

Moore first showed what he could do during the 2025 season when he made his first career start against the Purdue Boilermakers in Week 11. He stepped into the lineup after starting tackle Phillip Daniels suffered an injury. Even though the Buckeyes rag-dolled them, the pressure from the Boilermakers was still a challenge for the Scarlet and Gray.

Despite the pressure of making his first start in a major college football game, Moore played quite well. He allowed no pressure during the game and committed only one penalty. That’s as good as you can get out of a first-time starter.

 

However, his biggest challenge came later in the postseason against the Miami Hurricanes. Moore entered the game at left tackle after Austin Siereveld got injured. He had to face Miami’s first-round-caliber front seven all night long. Unlike the other four linemen, he surprisingly held his own. The then-year two OL just allowed one pressure and one sack.

Even after those strong performances, Moore stayed humble. He said practicing every day against Ohio State’s defense gives him confidence because he believes it is the best defense in college football. The Buckeyes have two of the best DLs in the country in Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Beau Atkinson. Going up against them each day in the spring fueled his confidence.

“I’m not worried about them,” Moore said about opposing defenses. “I’m worried about practice tomorrow.”

Spring practice gave Moore another big chance to prove himself. Injuries to Daniels and Siereveld allowed him to work mostly with the first-team offense at left tackle. Redshirt freshman Carter Lowe worked mainly at right tackle while Moore handled the left side. Of all the linemen, Moore impressed the most.

There is now a real chance Moore could earn a starting job this season. Ohio State may decide its best offensive line includes Moore at left tackle and Siereveld moving back to guard.

Everybody’s got Morre’s back

Teammates like Luke Montgomery have praised Moore’s improvement.

“Ian’s been doing an amazing job, tremendous job,” Montgomery said this spring. “I’m pretty comfortable with him at left tackle, as well as Austin. So our camaraderie’s been very good. I just think he’s very explosive off the ball, very strong, and a smart dude.”

The biggest difference for Moore has been his mindset. Earlier in his career, he admitted he spent too much time worrying about mistakes. Now, he believes in himself much more.

“Going into the spring, I tell myself every day, I belong out here. I belong with these guys. I just had to remind myself, I belong out here,” the sophomore lineman said. “I’m here for a reason…I know I have the skills to do it. I know I have the talent to do it. And I know I have the work ethic to do it. I just got to do it. I got to be confident in myself.”

Even the head honcho, Ryan Day, seems to love what he’s seeing from Moore.

“Ian has done some really good things. So that’s been great,” Day gave his verdict. “And I think that he understands now, going into this year, he’s got some time under his belt here as a Buckeye, and so we need him. We need him to step up in a big way for us. And I don’t know exactly what the grades look like, but overall, he certainly has gotten better, and he’s going to have an opportunity to play himself into a starter role here.”

At the end of the day, the confidence will pay dividends for the Buckeyes and obviously for him. They might have already found their starting lineman already.

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