One day after losing offensive linemen Paris Johnson Jr. and Luke Wypler to the 2023 NFL Draft, the Buckeyes received a bit of good news this morning as Matt Jones announced he would return to Ohio State next season.
RUN IT BACK THEN 😤😤 pic.twitter.com/CKu0RZ6jEK
— Matt Jones (@GrindTime55) January 11, 2023
Jones has been at Ohio State since 2018, coming in as a four-star recruit from New York. He redshirted that year before playing in 42 games (with 18 starts) in the past four seasons. He will use his bonus COVID year in order to return to Ohio State next season, which will be his sixth in Columbus. The Buckeyes will now return two starters from this past season’s line, with Jones joining guard Donovan Jackson. Wypler, Johnson, and Dawand Jones are all slated to head to the NFL.
It will be interesting to see whether Ohio State keeps Jones at the guard position or attempts a classic kick inside to center. The Buckeyes have moved Billy Price, Pat Elflein, and Michael Jordan from guard to center in recent years with varying degrees of success, and Jones could be the next lineman to see the transition as the Buckeyes unit is in major flux.
Nevertheless, returning a lineman with Jones’ experience is always good, and something that Ryan Day and Justin Frye are surely thankful for.
Dave is the founder of The Silver Bulletin. After starting his own venture, Dave wrote for Eleven Warriors for four years whilst a student at The Ohio State University. After graduating in May of 2021 with a degree in marketing, the writing bug returned and The Silver Bulletin was born.