Nicholas Petit-Frere has loads of talent.

Plenty of guys at Ohio State do. But, Petit-Frere is a bit different. He was a legitimate 5-star recruit in the Class of 2018 and was the No. 1 overall offensive tackle in his class. It’s hard to be more highly-touted.

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However, as a freshman, Petit-Frere played in just four games. Going into 2019, the assumed starting tackles for the Buckeyes will be Thayer Munford and Branden Bowen. Petit-Frere projects to be a backup once again.

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Why?

Part of it is because of where he’s playing. Ohio State always has great offensive tackles. Whether you’re the No. 1 recruit or not, potential NFL bodies are ahead of you on the depth chart. That’s just the way it is.

Another reason is weight.

Petit-Frere was reportedly on an 8,000 calorie diet over the winter to help him gain weight from his 265-pound frame. With that, he was able to get up to 295.

“It’s been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life…gaining weight, the way that we train here and everything like that, it’s tremendous, it’s crazy, but it’s so worth it,” Petit-Frere said. “It’s been a long process, but I’m grateful for the people that have been around me.

“We’ve got some big kids around here at Ohio State that we’ve got to move, so that’s something I learned pretty quickly. I can’t really be light and still play the way I did in high school, like I actually have to have size and a bigger body so I can understand how to move people in that way…”

Ohio State’s 2019 season begins on Aug. 31 at home against Florida Atlantic.