Phillip Daniels, a Princeton High School graduate, holds the starting right tackle job at Ohio State heading into the Buckeyes' season opener against Ball State on Sept. 5.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day told reporters on Aug. 24 that Daniels and four other linemen have been taking first-team reps throughout preseason camp. "We'll see how it continues to work out; it's sort of trending in that direction," Day said, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

The 6-foot-5, 312-pound Daniels will anchor the right side of a line that also features Ian Moore at left tackle, Luke Montgomery at left guard, Carson Hinzman at center and Austin Siereveld at right guard. It marks the third straight year Daniels, Hinzman and Siereveld have started together.

Siereveld, who grew up in Liberty Township not far from Princeton, told reporters on Aug. 26 that the continuity has paid off. "It's very uncommon to have your three interior guys play for three years together, and we've got to take advantage of that," Siereveld said, according to the Dayton Daily News. "The connections we have are unreal. We vibe. We click."

Daniels' path to Columbus took a detour. Despite earning First Team All-State honors at Princeton, he was not on Ohio State's radar out of high school. He committed to Minnesota as a three-star prospect, according to Land-Grant Holy Land. After not playing in 2023 for the Golden Gophers, he appeared in 12 games and started three in 2024.

Daniels entered the transfer portal after that season, and Ohio State made a serious push to bring him in. The move paid off. In 2025, his first full year as a Buckeye starter, Daniels logged 761 snaps and earned Third Team All-Big Ten honors. He started every game except the Purdue contest during a regular season in which Ohio State went 12-0.

He had the option to enter the 2026 NFL Draft but chose to return to Columbus for another year.

Daniels is the second Princeton High School product to start on Ohio State's offensive line in recent years. Paris Johnson Jr., a 2020 Princeton graduate, started 26 consecutive games for the Buckeyes before the Arizona Cardinals selected him sixth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Ohio State hosts Ball State at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 5.