A guard last year, Austin Siereveld has emerged as the favorite to win the left tackle job on Ohio State's offensive line.
Inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, Austin Siereveld is known as Piggy.
Only for an offensive lineman could that be considered a term of endearment.
Siereveld got that nickname because his handle as a video gamer is Big Pig. When former Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye learned that, Siereveld said, “That’s all he called me.”
What the Buckeyes are also calling Siereveld these days is their probable starting left tackle. It’s been quite a rise for the third-year player from the Cincinnati area. A year ago, he was just another relative unknown competing as a backup.
When All-American left guard Donovan Jackson injured his hamstring during last season's training camp, Siereveld got the nod to replace him for the first two games.
"I pretty much got thrown into the fire," he said.
When injuries to left tackle Josh Simmons and center Seth McLaughlin forced more shuffling on the line, Siereveld started the last two regular-season games and the first two College Football Playoff games at left guard. Luke Montgomery’s emergence allowed Siereveld to switch to a swing role at both guard spots in the CFP semifinal and final.
When preparation for the 2025 season started, Siereveld was considered a favorite to win a starting job somewhere on the line. But left tackle seemed like a long shot. The Buckeyes signed highly regarded Ethan Onianwa as a transfer from Rice to fill that spot.
But with the opener against No. 1 Texas approaching on Aug. 30, Siereveld is penciled in at left tackle. OSU coach Ryan Day said on Aug. 11 that Siereveld is practicing exclusively at that spot.
Ohio State’s linemen are being trained to play a primary and secondary position. Asked if left tackle is his primary position, Siereveld replied, “I wouldn’t say no.”
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Siereveld and new offensive line coach Tyler Bowen emphasized that nothing has been finalized yet at left tackle or any spot on the line. Coaches have said they want to start the five best linemen and then settle on a configuration. Onianwa, for example, is competing with Minnesota transfer Phillip Daniels at right tackle as well as seeing time at guard.
Clearly, Siereveld is one of the top five. Day and teammates have raved about his offseason. He was named an Iron Buckeye by strength coach Mickey Marotti for his work in the weight room.
“He's always been a powerful, athletic guy,” Bowen said. “We've got to get him to play within his technique better, but you can see the things that he generated in the weight room and the leadership and kind of the edge that he brings showing up on the field.”
Siereveld played left tackle at West Chester Lakota East High School, but that was in a triple-option offense. The transition to Ohio State’s pro-style was like jumping from addition to calculus. It took time to develop confidence.
“I didn’t know what a (pro-style) offense really was,” he said. “I had to keep building, keep learning, always in the playbook, always watching film, always asking questions to the older guys. They really helped me out to keep building and stacking days.”
Right guard Tegra Tshabola played on the same West Chester Outlaws team in youth football with Siereveld before Tshabola started attending rival Lakota West High School.
“He's a guy that challenges himself a lot,” Tshabola said. “He pushes himself to be better. He's never satisfied, and he's always looking for different ways to grow.”
That includes Siereveld becoming a more vocal leader, something that doesn’t come naturally to him.
“I’m sort of a quiet guy, but this year I really need to step up,” he said.
Siereveld is 6-5 and 325 pounds with a stocky build. Teammates joke that his calves are as thick as his thighs. That body type is more suited to guard, and that’s where Siereveld expected to play this year.
But Siereveld also has nimble feet for someone his size, which he attributes to his background playing basketball. That gives him the athleticism to play tackle.
“In high school, I played every position (on the offensive line) besides center,” Siereveld said.
He said he knows the offense now well enough that he’d need only one day of practice to fill in at that position if anything happens to Carson Hinzman.
Siereveld has been at Ohio State long enough to know how fluid things can be. He said he doesn’t have a strong preference where he plays.
“Wherever they have me, that’s where I feel most comfortable,” he said.
Ohio State football beat writer Bill Rabinowitz can be reached at [email protected] or on bluesky at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State's Austin Siereveld is OSU's probable starting left tackle
Category: General Sports
