Ohio State Buckeyes OL Luke Montgomery Motivated To Bounce Back in 2026

Ohio State offensive lineman Luke Montgomery is not running from what happened last season. He is owning it.

“It was justified. One hundred percent,” Montgomery said of the criticism that followed the Buckeyes’ performance against Miami. “We understand that. We took that and we’re going to implement it now. We’re pretty pissed off.”

That response has defined the tone inside the offensive line room this spring. “We’ve come through adversity and now it’s time to go,” Montgomery said.

Now entering his third season with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Montgomery is no longer just part of the rotation. After appearing in seven games as a freshman in 2023, he worked his way into meaningful snaps during the College Football Playoff and made his first career start in the win over Texas.

With experience returning across the front, expectations have shifted.

“We’re very experienced up front,” Montgomery said. “A lot of guys can cross train and play different spots.”

Montgomery is at the center of that versatility. “I’ll probably play a little bit of center and then a little bit of tackle this spring,” he said. “The more versatile you can be, the better your opportunity is to play.”

That flexibility is not just about the next level. It is about surviving a season that already looks loaded. “I think the experience matters in the big-time games,” Montgomery said. “We’ve got a gauntlet this upcoming year. It’s going to show in the fourth quarter.”

Still, the foundation of everything this offseason traces back to what went wrong. “I think we honestly beat ourselves in some of those scenarios,” he said. “We took things for granted a little bit. Should have done better with the basics.”

That reflection has pushed Montgomery to take a more detailed approach, both mentally and physically. “I think just my overall IQ of the game,” he said. “Not just knowing the front seven, but also what they can do in coverage.”

He has also made changes off the field.

“I like to cook now. I do it every night,” Montgomery said. “I don’t go out for dinner. I go to the grocery store.”

That shift has come with a few sacrifices. “Fried chicken,” he said when asked what he misses most. “Every Monday night, putting down a buttermilk chicken sandwich…it was freaking good.”

The goal now is consistency. “I just want to continue to have stamina throughout the season…We want to be world winners; there’s no excuse not to be.”

Even with that focus, moments like receiving his first pair of gold pants after beating Michigan carry a different kind of meaning.

“It means a lot, obviously being an Ohio kid,” he said. “I’m going to give these to my mom.”

But even that moment comes with added motivation. “My girlfriend’s dad played at Michigan,” Montgomery said. “He’s 2-2 against Ohio State…I need to win this next one.”

For Montgomery, last season is not something to forget. It is something to build from.

“We’re an experienced line. There’s no excuses.”