Buckeyes Crootin’ 2023 Class In Review: Offensive Tackle Luke Montgomery

Luke Montgomery is one of the best football players in the state of Ohio, period. Regardless or position or class, Luke is ranked among the very top. The 6-foot-5 Montgomery committed to the Buckeyes on Feb. 17 of this year, and already he has become of the more active recruiters of his peers in the class of 2023. I am sure there is also some recruiting going on of his younger brother Ryan Montgomery, a star QB in the class of 2025, to go play in Columbus as well. He seems to be taking the mantle of Captain Buckeye from class of 2022 recruit CJ Hicks to become Ohio States hype train conductor.

However, today we are here to talk about Luke, and what kinds of things he can bring to the Ohio State offense.

Luke Montgomery - Offensive Tackle

Findlay High School, Findlay (Ohio) - 6-foo-5, 270 lbs.

Luke Montgomery is one of the highest ranked offensive tackles in the country, but that isn’t the only position he was recruited for by college football coaches. He also is a star player on the defensive side of the ball, playing both offense and defense in the trenches. Some schools were even trying to recruit him more on the defensive front, but ultimately he chose the Buckeyes and being one of the bookend tackles for whoever ends up running the offense in the upcoming few seasons. I believe this to be the right choice, because I see a player with a mammoth amount of potential to be great on the O-line.

He will need to keep adding on more weight and strength over time prior to arriving in Columbus, but he has the frame and drive to certainly do so. His listed weight is 270 pounds, however this recent tweet from the man himself seems to suggest that number is also climbing

247Sports analyst Allen Trieu has his NFL comparison of Montgomery as Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garrett Bolles, who shares a similar frame as Luke, but of course 30 pounds heavier. This suggests he should have no problem adding that strength without giving up the quickness or reaction time getting out of his stance, and per the above tweet seems his he well on his way to already doing so.

He is a very athletic offensive lineman who is capable of making any type of blocks you may ask of him. He has a knack for a fast start off the line of scrimmage, and in the run blocking game flashes his potential as he drives defenders into the dirt and racks up those pancakes. He shows the athleticism to block multiple defenders in a single play in the run game, chipping a defensive end or in his case totally taking them out of the play) and then going to the linebacker at the second level. He has the speed and quickness to get to that second level in a good time frame, allowing the runner to make their cut off his blocks.

I can see him doing very well in either a zone blocking scheme or otherwise. He just seems to fit multiple play styles, which if you have read my other articles is a huge plus for me in positional and role flexibility. If he ever is in the position to need to be a pulling lineman out in space, he has that athletic ability to be a pulling guard or even tackle.

As far as the pass blocking ability goes, his athleticism also provides a huge boost there as well. The kick out of his stance is already well above the average for players at his level. He has quick feet with a good mix of balance and power. He seems to have a good amount of patience and does not get ahead of himself when the defender displays different pass rushing techniques. His athleticism really helps out a lot in the screen game, as he can get out in front quickly and reach linebackers or defensive backs to clear them out for either the running back or wide receiver to create in open space.

As I stated earlier on, he has not exactly played a ton of time at the position yet either, as he was playing tight end and defensive line. It is impressive with such a short time playing this spot on offense where he is already at, and will surely only get better with time. There are plenty of upperclassmen at Ohio State who can show him good habits on the offensive line before any bad tendencies form. Since no bad habits have had time to form, that old adage we love to preach around here is more relevant than ever — iron sharpens iron. When sharpening that iron, what better way than to start with a clean slate?

This was a huge win for the Buckeyes on the recruiting trail in keeping one of Ohio's best at home. Oh yea like I said earlier, keep a close eye on his younger brother Ryan, who could very well also be making his way to Columbus in the future.