Ohio State’s spring practice will start in early March, so it’s not too soon to look ahead to the pressing questions the Buckeyes will face when they again put on the pads.

In some ways, the Buckeyes will have a familiar look. Most of their draft-eligible underclassmen decided to return, giving their defense plenty of experience.

The offense has more changes with the departures of quarterback Kyle McCord and star receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and the addition of offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.

Here’s a look at the five biggest questions facing Ohio State as it begins preparation for the 2024 season:

Will the offensive line be fixed?

This is the unit that doomed the Buckeyes in 2023 and remains their biggest issue. The addition of Alabama transfer Seth McLaughlin should solidify the center position, and the return of left guard Donovan Jackson gave Ohio State a big boost. Left tackle Josh Simmons improved throughout 2023, though consistency remains an issue.

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The right side of the line is more up in the air. Could right tackle Josh Fryar be moved inside to guard as Matt Jones’ replacement, which might be a better fit for Fryar? If that happens, would Luke Montgomery or Tegra Tshabola be capable of holding down the right tackle spot? Establishing the five players on the line must be a priority this spring.

Is Will Howard clearly the starter?

Former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard has arrived at Ohio State as a transfer, and the job is presumed to be his to lose. Otherwise, why would he have agreed to become a Buckeye?

But the job must still be earned, and he’ll have to fend off Devin Brown and to a lesser extent, Lincoln Kienholz and incoming freshmen Air Noland and Julian Sayin. Brown had a chance to stake a claim for the job following McCord’s exit in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri. But he was ineffective early and then sprained an ankle, which knocked him out of the game.

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Kienholz, who spent 2023 mostly as the scout team quarterback, was overmatched when thrust into action.

Howard, like Brown, is an effective runner, and that’s an element that has been mostly missing from Ohio State quarterbacks since Justin Fields left after the 2020 season. Brown has the advantage of being in the system for two years, but if Howard is a quick study, he’s the clear front-runner.

How will it work at running back?

When healthy, TreVeyon Henderson is a home-run threat as a running back. But he has missed time in all three of his seasons with injuries. With the departures of Chip Trayanum to Kentucky, Evan Pryor to Cincinnati and Miyan Williams to the NFL, OSU’s depth was severely depleted. Dallan Hayden is the only other scholarship running back.

Enter Quinshon Judkins, who is far more than a depth piece. A two-time All-Southeastern Conference player, Judkins transferred from Mississippi. Now the question is how he and Henderson will divide the carries. Henderson decided to return instead of heading to the NFL, and he didn’t do so to become a backup.

But sharing the load in the backfield is an increasingly popular strategy – see Michigan with Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out, but it’s a good issue to have.

How much of the offense will Ryan Day hand off to Bill O’Brien?

Day has had too much on his plate in recent years, and he wanted an experienced offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach who could ease his burden. Day hired Bill O’Brien, the former Penn State and Houston Texans coach who also spent years under Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots and Nick Saban at Alabama to do that.

It's probably a stretch to say that Day will give O’Brien the autonomy he has given defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Day made his name as an offensive coach and will remain highly involved. But O’Brien is likely to handle the bulk of the play-calling duties.

O’Brien’s quarterbacks at Penn State raved about his ability to adapt to their skills. It’ll be fascinating to see how O’Brien and Day mesh.

Can the defense be as good as it looks on paper?

Ohio State’s defense yielded only 11.2 points per game last year, so it’s hard to improve much from that. But the 2024 defense certainly should be imposing.

The Buckeyes lose four key players, but they should have more than capable replacements. Ends J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer return, as does tackle Tyleik Williams. Tackle Michael Hall Jr. is off to the NFL, but Ty Hamilton played plenty last year and returns.

Cody Simon and C.J. Hicks are expected to take over for Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers at linebacker. The secondary is intact except for national Freshman of the Year Caleb Downs, a transfer from Alabama, taking over for Josh Proctor at safety.

The defense played with more confidence in Year 2 in Knowles’ defense, and it should take another jump in 2024. But what looks dominating hypothetically must become that in reality.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 5 questions for Ohio State football as spring practice approaches