Ohio State junior center Michael Jordan (73) prepares to snap the ball to redshirt sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins (7) in the first half of the game against Rutgers on Sept. 8. Ohio State won 52-3. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Photo Editor
Start at guard, slide over, be selected to play in the NFL.
With the selection of former center Michael Jordan at No. 136 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2019 NFL Draft, Ohio State repeats this cycle for its offensive linemen a third consecutive year.
Jordan started at guard for the Buckeyes in 2016 and 2017, before moving to center before 2018 to fill a need up front.
He played well enough to earn second-team all-Big Ten honors at the position, after being named first-team all-Big Ten at guard in 2017.
Maintaining Jordan at its middle, the Ohio State offense ranked No. 2 nationally in yards, averaging 535.7 per game.
Pat Elflein started at guard multiple seasons for the Buckeyes before moving over to center in 2016. He earned the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center before getting selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
Billy Price followed the same path, picking up the 2017 Rimington Trophy and getting selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jordan declared for the NFL draft in the weeks following Ohio State’s Rose Bowl victory against Washington.
He posted the third-best broad jump (9 feet 8 inches) and fifth-best vertical jump (32.5 inches) among offensive linemen at the NFL combine.
