Ohio lost a myriad of key pieces throughout its locker room following this 2023 season. On offense, Ohio will be anchored by an offensive line featuring a mix of returning players and new faces.
Names like Parker Titsworth and Christophe Atkinson are players who could step into a leadership role on an offense lacking experience while players are coming in who will look to make an immediate impact in their first year at Ohio, such as Tigana Cisse.
Who’s Gone
Ohio didn’t lose many offensive linemen in the offseason; however, it did lose a lot of experience. Ohio lost three of its five starting offensive linemen from the 2023 season via graduation or the transfer portal.
These three losses included six-year Ohio veteran Kurt Danneker, five-year veteran Jay Amburgey, and standout Shedrick Rhodes Jr., who all started 10-plus games in each of the last two years for Ohio. These three pieces will be hard to replace as leaders in the locker room, but Ohio is bringing in plenty of young talent that is sure to set up the program for success at the offensive line position moving forward.
Who’s Back
Despite losing three of its most impactful players on the offensive line, Ohio will still return three additional players with enough experience to lead the unit. Both Titsworth and Atkinson were regular starters last season while Jacob Dennison played in all 13 games in a depth role.
Titsworth is sure to be a pivotal leader for the entire offensive unit, bringing in more experience than nearly any other expected starter. Jacob Dennison, on the other hand, is a potential starter who could make a huge leap from his role last year.
Other impactful returners include Kam Wright, Joseph Habinowski and Davion Weatherspoon who each saw a wealth of snaps over the last two seasons. With three starters leaving, each of these players is expected opportunity at a larger role in the 2024 season.
Who’s New
Ohio will bring 10 new players into the offensive line room this fall, five of which come in via the transfer portal. Two of Ohio’s most notable transfers include Tigana Cisse from the University of Idaho and Carson Heidecker from the Division II Notre Dame College.
The Bobcats also bring in five new freshmen who will look to make an impact in the offensive line unit, bringing additional depth and providing the Bobcats with youth in the trenches.
Player to Watch
Ohio brought in a myriad of Division II offensive line transfers; Tigana Cisse is the only one to come from the Division I level. Cisse comes from Idaho State University where he was a regular starter his freshman and sophomore years. Coming to Ohio as a Junior, Cisse is an exciting prospect who will have a chance to win one of the five starting offensive line positions.
