This is a developing story and will be updated.
Ohio State starting center Seth McLaughlin tore an Achilles tendon in practice on Tuesday, a source told The Dispatch.
He’s likely to miss the rest of the season, as the usual timeline to recover from an Achilles tear is months.
The setback is significant for the Buckeyes, who have already suffered injuries on their offensive line this fall.
Josh Simmons, the much-improved starting left tackle who transferred from San Diego State last year, suffered a season-ending knee injury in a loss at Oregon last month.
Without Simmons on the blind side, the Buckeyes reshuffled the line, moving left guard Donovan Jackson to tackle and inserting Carson Hinzman at guard in place of Jackson.
The arrival of McLaughlin, who transferred to Ohio State from Alabama in January, has helped to stabilize an offensive line that was up and down in 2023.
The Buckeyes were named one of 10 semifinalists last week for the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes the best offensive line in college football.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter,@joeyrkaufman or email him atjkaufman@dispatch.com.
