Ohio State football team changes their starting offensive line for the Cotton Bowl against Missouri

Ohio State football made a big, but not wholly unexpected, alteration to their starting lineup for the Cotton Bowl game against Missouri on Friday.

For warmups with the No. 1 offense, Matt Jones moved from right guard to center. Enokk Vimahi, another veteran, took over at right guard.

Jones took one series of snaps in lieu of starting center Carson Hinzman against Michigan State in the season’s third-to-last game. Hinzman started all 12 regular-season games and was not listed as out due to injury on Friday night.

Jones graduated from Erasmus High School in Brooklyn, New York, as the top-ranked center in the 2018 247Sports composite. He only saw action at that position twice. Despite starting at right guard, he practiced heavily there and has been the de facto backup there for the past three seasons.

Jones is in his second season as the starting right guard after serving as the team’s sixth offensive lineman and filling in at various places in 2021. More time at center could improve his chances of being selected in the NFL Draft in April 2024.