Ohio State offensive tackle announces return for 2022 season

Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones will return to Columbus for the 2022 season, he announced Monday. Jones had some fun breaking the news, taking to Twitter for a lighthearted post in the third person.

“Breaking News: Dawand Jones will be returning for his senior year at Ohio State,” he wrote.

Breaking News: Dawand Jones will be returning for his senior year at Ohio State.

— Dawand Jones (@dawandj79) January 17, 2022

Jones just finished his third season with the Buckeyes after joining the team as a three-star recruit in 2019. He was the No. 60 offensive tackle in the 2019 class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He committed to Ohio State over offers from Michigan, Oregon, Texas and others.

A native of Indianapolis, he helped Ben Davis High School to a state championship as a junior in 2017. Jones also excelled on the basketball court, where he averaged 17 points and nine rebounds per game, earning a few Division I offers.

The Buckeyes were statistically the best offensive teams in the country this past season. They finished first in FBS in both total offense and scoring offense. Considered a favorite to make the College Football Playoff for much of the season, Ohio State ultimately missed out because of a loss to Michigan in the final game of the regular season.

They instead earned a trip to the Rose Bowl, claiming a narrow 48-45 victory against Utah. With quarterback CJ Stroud, receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back TreVeyon Henderson all returning, the Buckeyes offense should once again be strong.

Jones will get his first chance to make an impact for Ohio State when the Buckeyes open the 2022 season against Notre Dame on Sept. 3. If they can manage to win that game, it will set the tone for what should shape up to be an exciting year in Columbus.