Ohio State Center Seth McLaughlin Tears Achilles at Practice

© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State starting center Seth McLaughlin reportedly tore his Achilles tendon during the No. 2 Buckeyes' Nov. 19 practice. Rumors began to swirl early Tuesday evening and were seemingly confirmed by a source to the Columbus Dispatch later that night. The injury will likely keep the star lineman out for the remainder of this season. This is yet another devastating blow to the already decimated Ohio State offensive line.

Seth McLaughlin This Season

McLaughlin has been tremendous in his first season with the Buckeyes (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten Conference). He joined Ohio State by way of the Transfer Portal from Alabama along with teammate Caleb Downs last offseason. McLaughlin has been a vocal leader and an integral part of keeping the offensive line playing well. His consistency has been a major factor in the success of the Ohio State offense. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has a complex scheme that puts a lot of responsibility on the center and the quarterback to keep things organized and running smoothly.

He has been one of the biggest leaders on the team since his arrival. Teammates and coaches have praised McLaughlin at every turn.

He has led a movement with the sale of his "Run the Damn Ball" hats. The project headlines the 'RTDB" acronym that stands for "run to the donation box." McLaughlin donates proceeds from the sales to the Mid-Ohio Food Collective. His leadership and impact in the community have been just as great as his production on the field.

2024 Ohio State OL Injuries

Losing McLaughlin is not the first major setback to the position group in 2024. Left tackle Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury on Oct. 12 in a 32-31 loss to No. 1 Oregon (11-0, 8-0 B1G). Simmons had been outstanding to that point in his second season with the Buckeyes.

Backup LT Zen Michalski filled in for Simmons against the Ducks and held up well. He then got the start in their next game on Oct. 26 against Nebraska (5-5, 2-5 B1G). Michalski was injured in that game and has not been available since. Starting left guard Donovan Jackson slid over to play LT for the first time in his collegiate career. Last season's starting center Carson Hinzman came in to start at LG. This new combination made a stellar stand in their first game together in a 20-13 win on the road over No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1 B1G).

They have carried that momentum forward since then and continued to build chemistry as a unit. The group has been named as a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to the best OL group each season. That momentum has now been put to a halt with the injury to McLaughlin.

Moving Forward

The group does have some positives to look at moving ahead this year. Hinzman started 12 games at center last year. The assumption is that he will slide back over to the position and Austin Siereveld will likely move to LG. Siereveld was in a position battle with Tegra Tshabloa for right guard to start the year. The battle made its way into the regular season before Tshabola seemed to cement himself there. Siereveld started at LG in the season opener this year against Akron as Jackson was out. The coaching staff seems to really love him as a player and there will be a comfort level with him on the field as he has seen significant time already.

Ohio State is gearing up for a postseason run in the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes face No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 B1G) on Nov. 23. They then face Michigan (5-5, 3-4 B1G) on Nov. 30 in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Both games provide huge tests for the group as it looks to hold together despite losing numerous bodies along the OL. McLaughlin will still play a role from the sidelines as he is one of the Buckeyes' foremost leaders on and off the field.