Just over a month since leaving Virginia Tech to be the new Ohio State offensive line coach, Tyler Bowen has secured his first win on the recruiting trail. In terms of the 2026 class, it was a massive win for the Buckeyes. In-state tackle recruit Maxwell Riley announced his commitment on Monday. Riley is considered to be the second-best overall recruit in Ohio and seventh-best tackle in the country. He is the fifth pledge to the Buckeyes’ 2026 class and the first on the offensive line.
This comes at a perfect time for Ohio State’s efforts on the trail. This, after Clemson just came into Ohio and plucked another top lineman from the Buckeyes’ backyard. With Spring practice just around the corner, Ryan Day and company have begun to get a little momentum for the quest to bag the program’s first back-to-back national championship.
New Ohio State Offensive Line Coach Gets First Recruiting Win
A Short 131-mile Drive
There’s something about Clemson and Ohio-born offensive linemen. After locking up Adam Guthrie, the Tigers looked in prime position to poach another. Riley was reportedly torn between the two for a while, but Bowen was able to close the deal despite Justin Frye’s departure.
The six-foot-five, 280-pound tackle has experience on both sides of the line. As a talent of his caliber, he naturally slots in at left tackle for the Avon Lake Eagles. 247Sports‘ Ohio State recruiting expert Bill Kurelic sees a bright future for Riley. Kurelic notes that while it may be difficult for the highly rated tackle to get playing time as a true freshman in 2026, he projects to fight for playing time in his second season. Kurelic goes on to predict that Riley could develop into an All-Big Ten player for the Buckeyes.
Riley’s high school coach gushed over Riley in an interview with Eleven Warriors. He claimed that his star tackle had “some of the best footwork [he’s] seen out of a kid his size.” When Frye established the relationship, he asked the coach what he thought of his stud, to which he responded that he could finally run outside zone concepts. Riley gives his team the stability and confidence to run to his side.
All in all, the Buckeyes are getting a guy who gets Ohio State football and will be able to develop into a player the Buckeyes won’t feel they need to upgrade via the transfer portal.
Passing Early Tests
Being the Ohio State offensive line coach comes with pressure that not many coaches can handle. There’s a certain prestige to the role. If a coach is not perceived to be up to snuff, the fanbase will let that coach know. Frye was a solid coach and developer but lacked in the realm of recruiting. That much was evident last year. Now, Bowen must keep that momentum going while replacing four NFL-bound players, two of which could be first-round selections.
What is the silver lining of all of those injuries from last year? A handful of depth players got plenty of playing time, setting them up for success in 2025. Guys like Luke Montgomery, Carson Hinzman, and Austin Siereveld stepped up when the Buckeyes needed and will be leaned upon this year. The Buckeyes’ coaching staff met with beat writers last week, and Bowen was a popular figure. He commented on the uniqueness of the job:
“Being here the last three-and-a-half, four weeks, whatever it’s been, and diving into the cut-ups and seeing how many different guys came in and played integral roles on the way to the championship, I think it’s a very unique situation. We got a lot of guys, particularly on the interior, that have played a lot of football, rotated through. So that should help us as we go into spring.”
The Comparative
To put into perspective the difference in jobs, Riley’s 247Sports‘ rating is low compared to some of the talents the Buckeyes have signed over the last decade alone, never mind all-time. He could be considered a top-five signee on the offensive line in Hokie history ever since 247Sports started tracking recruiting.
In a short time, Bowen has been impressing Day and the established players with his personality, which “jumps out at you,” according to the head coach.
Season Is Just Around the Corner
Bowen and the Buckeyes are gearing up for an interesting 2025 season. With so much change on the offensive line, Bowen knew he had to get started quickly. He noted that getting to know players and recruits was paramount:
“The most important thing is to try to build trust with a group and you’ve got to do it in a short amount of time,” Bowen said. “And trust, it’s not easy to build. It’s very easy to lose. So the first thing that I tried to attack here, before you even get into the X’s and O’s and talking about inside zone and gap schemes and all the things that go into it, six-man protection, is I wanted to meet with each player individually and get an idea of their story.”
Time will tell if Bowen was the right man for the job. Thus far, he’s been passing tests. Of course, the first real, massive test will be on August 30. That Texas defensive line looks as stout as it has been.
The Buckeyes are still in the mix for a number of top-end offensive line recruits. Bowen has a big summer ahead of him.
Main Image: Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
