Ohio State offensive line dealing with 'funky virus,' missing players in second week of camp

The first-team Ohio State offensive line didn’t look like the first-team Ohio State offensive line Thursday. And that’s because the position group is dealing with what head coach Ryan Day called a “funky virus.”

“We do have a little bit of a funky virus going on with that group right there,” Day said. “We’re hoping to flush that out by the end of the week because it’s created a little bit of guys being in and out.

“But other than that, they’ve had a great offseason, and we’re hoping that we can kind of get a rhythm with those guys here heading into next week.”

The Buckeyes were notably missing starting left tackle Josh Simmons, Carson Hinzman — who’s competing for the starting right guard job with fellow third-year lineman Tegra Tshabola — and third-year and second-team tackle George Fitzpatrick, among others.

Some offensive linemen who did participate in Thursday’s practice, the seventh of training camp, were visibly sick on the outdoor fields of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. And some were limited in practice, namely left guard Donovan Jackson.

Day was asked if the viral infection, and the absences that have resulted, are affecting his staff’s evaluation of other position groups, and units as a whole.

“It hasn’t really affected us yet,” Day said. “It did a little bit today. We had a couple things show up, and so a couple guys on the offensive line had to double up, and I called them out after practice and gave them a shoutout, because that wasn’t easy. It wasn’t all perfect, but they were tough and gritty and really gutted it out.

“If this continues like this, then it is going to have an effect. If we can kind of flush this out here pretty soon, then I think it’ll be just a bump in the road. So we’ll see how this weekend shakes out.”

A couple players up front who stepped up, in particular, were second-year linemen Austin Siereveld and Josh Padilla. Both played out of position — Siereveld at left tackle rather than left guard and Padilla at left guard rather than center — while lining up with what seemed to be the remaining pieces of the first-team O-Line.

Ohio State holds its first scrimmage of training camp Saturday. The Buckeyes are still looking to settle their right guard battle. They’ll need Hinzman back at practice, and Tshabola to steer clear of the virus, before that two-way race for the starting job can continue.