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OL Enokk Vimahi (transfer to Washington)

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Don’t rule out Enokk Vimahi in guard battle for Buckeyes



Ohio State isn’t all that far removed from a shaky period where it was seemingly always one injury away from disaster on the offensive line. Even last spring the Buckeyes were a makeshift unit that could barely make it through practices, even though there were signs that once healthy they had the potential to become the dominant blockers they eventually were for the Big Ten champs.

But those tenuous days are long gone now as Ohio State has ramped up the recruiting success in the trenches and paired that with proven development from position coach Greg Studrawa to build one of the deepest, most talented groups in the country. And while there are clear odds-on favorites in Harry Miller and Nicholas Petit-Frere to claim the vacant starting jobs at left guard and right tackle, respectively, they’re still going to have to earn the spots in heated competitions.

For Miller, that’s primarily going to come from Enokk Vimahi — and he shouldn’t be ruled out as a threat to become a regular contributor for the Buckeyes.

Both Ohio State coaches and teammates have raved about the physical tools and maturity of Vimahi, and one staff member called him a future NFL player shortly after he arrived on campus and started showing what he could do. His decision to put off a planned two-year church mission was a huge deal for the Buckeyes since Josh Myers and Wyatt Davis will likely both be gone after this season, meaning Vimahi will be a key foundational piece even if he doesn’t win a first-string role as a redshirt freshman.

Just sayin': Everyone thinks that Miller, Myers, and Davis have the interior OL positions locked up. He's kind of like the "forgotten guy" as a OL guard candidate.
 
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“My father, he was the reason why I'm here,” Vimahi said this spring. “Those camps that I was talking about earlier, traveling throughout the country, it was all him with my older brothers, going to each of those camps, him driving from Northern California to Southern California just for the day, and then at 2 a.m. driving back to Northern California from L.A. So it was a sacrifice. It was love. It was respect, discipline. And those are all the things that he instilled in me and my brothers.”

Tragically, David Vimahi died last November after battling a heart condition. But Enokk says the lessons he learned from his father growing up continue to resonate with him.

“Once he was sick, I’ve always started to play for him. But I mean, now that he's not here, it's added motivation, but I also can feel him,” Vimahi said. “I know that sounds really cheesy. But I know like, if I do something wrong, I can just hear his voice. Take a better wide step, or punch with your outside hand first.

“My dad coached me in high school. So he was everything to me. He was the reason why I fell in love with the game.”
 
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  • One reason why that question remains unanswered is that several of the Buckeyes’ backup offensive linemen missed time with injuries this spring, including Josh Fryar and Zen Michalski, who are likely the top candidates to back up Johnson and Jones at tackle. Day said both of them are expected to be back on the field when preseason camp Thursday, and he likes what he’s seen from them this offseason along with fourth-year lineman Enokk Vimahi, who’s expected to be a top backup at guard and also has experience playing tackle.......Having Josh back is going to be important. Zen has had a really good offseason. Enokk has had a really good offseason,” Day said. “So we're getting some of the younger guys in there. We have all the freshmen in there, so we're able to see maybe if those guys can help kind of like Donovan did last year. So yeah, feeling better about that, but I'll know more probably in the first couple of weeks in the preseason.”

    Ryan Day Seeing Progress on Ohio State’s Offensive Line Entering Preseason Camp, But Building Depth Remains A Priority | Eleven Warriors

  • "Enokk Vimahi is someone we need to step up." Day mentions Carson Hinzman and Tegra Tshabola as young offensive linemen who have stepped up as of late.
Presser Bullets: Ryan Day Says Cornerback Injuries Won't Be Long-Term, Still Doesn't Have Update on USC Transfer Kicker Parker Lewis | Eleven Warriors
 
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ENOKK VIMAHI MAKING CASE FOR BEING ONE OF OHIO STATE’S BEST FIVE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN DESPITE RETURNING STARTERS AT GUARD​


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During his interview session at Ohio State last week, Justin Frye repeatedly said the Buckeyes’ starting offensive line will consist of their five best offensive linemen.

Frye also implied that he viewed Enokk Vimahi as one of Ohio State’s five best offensive linemen coming out of spring.

“I told Enokk, as we're sitting here today, if we were going (to play a game right now), then Enokk's gotta get on the field somewhere, somehow because of what he did in the spring,” Frye said.

The problem with Vimahi potentially being one of Ohio State’s five best offensive linemen is that he plays the same position as the Buckeyes’ top two offensive linemen.

Right now, the only two surefire starters on Ohio State’s offensive line this season are Donovan Jackson and Matt Jones. Jackson played left guard while Jones played right guard for the Buckeyes last season. While Frye believes Jackson could play all five positions on the offensive line and said Jones can also play center, he said the plan is still for both of them to remain at guard.

“Matt's played center before, he could slide in and play center. Donnie could play all five; no one’s asking him to do that but talent-wise and athleticism, he's as good as you're going to be around,” Frye said. “I hope we don’t have to break that glass though. I’ll put that out there. But could Donnie do it if he needed to? Absolutely. Could Matt slide over and play a different position if he needed to? Yeah.”
 
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