ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Just sayin': Yeah, I know it is against Chattanooga, but still.....
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- Thread starter ScriptOhio
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Just sayin': Yeah, I know it is against Chattanooga, but still.....
That's a pretty solid scheme for coaching ST. Put your defensive coaches on the D-side and your offensive skill coaches on the O-side. Seems simple but oddly innovative.
Cool to see Day recognize the glaring issue and reach out to successful coaches on tips. Never too big for help.
Cool to see Day recognize the glaring issue and reach out to successful coaches on tips. Never too big for help.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Venneri averaged 43.96 yards per punt for the Bulls in 2023, finishing 30th in the FBS in punting average – one spot ahead of former Ohio State punter Jesse Mirco, who transferred to Vanderbilt in January after averaging 43.69 yards per punt in 2023. Venneri broke his own single-season school record for punting average of 43 yards per punt in 2022, when he earned Freshman All-American honors from the FWAA.
A 6-foot, 225-pound punter from Hamilton, Ontario, Venneri brings two years of eligibility to Ohio State.
He’ll enter what now becomes a three-way competition for the starting punting job at Ohio State this season. A pair of punters from Australia, redshirt freshman Joe McGuire and incoming freshman Nick McLarty – the only scholarship punter on the roster – will also compete for the job in preseason camp. Venneri will have the advantage of experience in that competition as neither McLarty nor McGuire has punted in a collegiate game.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
At this point in time here are 11W's 3 deep on special teams:
2. Casey Magyar
3. Austin Snyder
Fielding is expected to retain his job as Ohio State’s kicker after making 80% of his field goals in his first season as the starter. Magyar looks to be his backup, as he also saw action in the spring game, while Snyder is the only other kicker on the roster.
2. Nick McLarty
3. Joe McGuire
The punting competition will ramp up in preseason camp after Venneri and McLarty arrive on campus this summer.
While McGuire looked like the potential successor to Jesse Mirco when Mirco entered the transfer portal in December, Venneri and McLarty are likely the top contenders for the job now given that Venneri has two years of FBS punting experience at Buffalo while McLarty is joining Ohio State as a scholarship player. Venneri projects as the favorite for the job after breaking Buffalo’s school record for single-season punting average two years in a row.
2. Morrow Evans
3. Max Lomonico
Ferlmann returns as Ohio State’s starting long snapper after providing steady play in that role in 2023. Evans, the No. 1 long snapper in the 2024 recruiting class per 247Sports, will start as Ferlmann’s backup while developing to be the Buckeyes’ snapper of the future.
2. Mylan Graham
3. Sam Williams-Dixon
There weren’t any clear indications this spring of who Ohio State was eyeing to be its new kickoff returner this season, so I’m just guessing on this one. Styles saw occasional work as a returner during his two years as a Notre Dame wide receiver, and this could be a way to get him more involved on special teams since he’ll likely have to wait another year to play a major role on defense.
Graham and Williams-Dixon were both effective returners at the high school level who have the speed and agility to remain dynamic in that role at the collegiate level, so both of them are intriguing options if Ohio State is comfortable turning to a freshman to return kicks. Other kick returner candidates include Carnell Tate – though OSU might prefer not to use a starting receiver in that capacity – and recently added walk-on transfer Shawn Lodge, who had 36 returns for 524 yards in two seasons at Presbyterian.
2. Emeka Egbuka
3. Jayden Ballard
Egbuka led the punt returner line this spring after handling those duties for most of the last two seasons, but Ohio State has reason to consider handing that job off to someone new as Egbuka becomes the leader of OSU’s receiver room following an injury-plagued 2023 season. Inniss seems like the most logical candidate to do so, as OSU’s punt returners in recent years have often been slot receivers and he has both the hands and athleticism needed to be a weapon in that capacity.
Ballard is another candidate to return punts after taking over that role for most of the second half of last season, though he never looked fully comfortable in that role. Caleb Downs could also be a weapon on punt returns after returning one for an 85-yard touchdown last season at Alabama, but he was not among the players who regularly fielded punts during practices this spring, suggesting that he will be focusing on defense for the Buckeyes.
KICKER
1. Jayden Fielding2. Casey Magyar
3. Austin Snyder
Fielding is expected to retain his job as Ohio State’s kicker after making 80% of his field goals in his first season as the starter. Magyar looks to be his backup, as he also saw action in the spring game, while Snyder is the only other kicker on the roster.
PUNTER
1. Anthony Venneri2. Nick McLarty
3. Joe McGuire
The punting competition will ramp up in preseason camp after Venneri and McLarty arrive on campus this summer.
While McGuire looked like the potential successor to Jesse Mirco when Mirco entered the transfer portal in December, Venneri and McLarty are likely the top contenders for the job now given that Venneri has two years of FBS punting experience at Buffalo while McLarty is joining Ohio State as a scholarship player. Venneri projects as the favorite for the job after breaking Buffalo’s school record for single-season punting average two years in a row.
LONG SNAPPER
1. John Ferlmann2. Morrow Evans
3. Max Lomonico
Ferlmann returns as Ohio State’s starting long snapper after providing steady play in that role in 2023. Evans, the No. 1 long snapper in the 2024 recruiting class per 247Sports, will start as Ferlmann’s backup while developing to be the Buckeyes’ snapper of the future.
KICK RETURNER
1. Lorenzo Styles Jr.2. Mylan Graham
3. Sam Williams-Dixon
There weren’t any clear indications this spring of who Ohio State was eyeing to be its new kickoff returner this season, so I’m just guessing on this one. Styles saw occasional work as a returner during his two years as a Notre Dame wide receiver, and this could be a way to get him more involved on special teams since he’ll likely have to wait another year to play a major role on defense.
Graham and Williams-Dixon were both effective returners at the high school level who have the speed and agility to remain dynamic in that role at the collegiate level, so both of them are intriguing options if Ohio State is comfortable turning to a freshman to return kicks. Other kick returner candidates include Carnell Tate – though OSU might prefer not to use a starting receiver in that capacity – and recently added walk-on transfer Shawn Lodge, who had 36 returns for 524 yards in two seasons at Presbyterian.
PUNT RETURNER
1. Brandon Inniss2. Emeka Egbuka
3. Jayden Ballard
Egbuka led the punt returner line this spring after handling those duties for most of the last two seasons, but Ohio State has reason to consider handing that job off to someone new as Egbuka becomes the leader of OSU’s receiver room following an injury-plagued 2023 season. Inniss seems like the most logical candidate to do so, as OSU’s punt returners in recent years have often been slot receivers and he has both the hands and athleticism needed to be a weapon in that capacity.
Ballard is another candidate to return punts after taking over that role for most of the second half of last season, though he never looked fully comfortable in that role. Caleb Downs could also be a weapon on punt returns after returning one for an 85-yard touchdown last season at Alabama, but he was not among the players who regularly fielded punts during practices this spring, suggesting that he will be focusing on defense for the Buckeyes.
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Nick McLarty Hit the Field for the First Time at Ohio State and the Australian is Massive
Nick McLarty took the field for the first time at Ohio State on Thursday, and with his height advantage over the Buckeyes' other punters, he was easy to spot.
Nick McLarty Hit the Field for the First Time at Ohio State and the Australian is Massive
Nick McLarty wasn't hard to notice at Ohio State's practice on Thursday.
That is meant figuratively due to his punting power, but also literally as he towers above the rest of the Buckeyes' punters – and most of their players in general – at 6-foot-7.
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"That's going to be a battle that goes into probably the third week to see if they can win the job," Ryan Day said at Big Ten Media Days. "We've got three or four guys in there that are going to be in the mix. (McLarty's) got a big leg. He's young. So we'll kind of see. We've got another guy with some experience (Venneri) coming in."
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calibuck
Too soon old, too late smart
Has anyone seen the coaching assignments for special teams? As in, who's in charge of punting? Who's in charge of kick-off team coverage? etc? Sounds like all the assistants are spending their time on recruiting, or holding on to recruits. Given that each has a coaching assignment, when do they spend their time with this 'other duties as assigned' thing? Just curious.
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calibuck
Too soon old, too late smart
So, am I to assume that we don't know whose neck to stomp on if a fake punt, run play goes awry? Sounds like it. To your point, since we got James Laurinaitis (sp?) as a LB coach, yeah, that's a win-win. Of the group, cannot see one of the position coaches that would willingly spend some of their time with special teams. Wasn't Knowles a special teams coach once upon a time? Guess that wasn't something that was asked at B10 days, or in the after practice Q&A with Day & Co. PS, when saw the pictures of the two punters, didn't recognize who the adult coach was with them. Mayhaps an assistant or two has got the charge. Would also opine that Day himself is spending time with the punt/kick-off runback groups. Anyway, just an idle muse on a week end. Go Bucks!
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ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Yeah, I tried that too and couldn't identify anyone that looked to be a coach; but I'm bad at identifying people from a picture anyway. Actually since NCAA football teams can have an unlimited number of coaches now, Day probably should hire a full time special teams coach (that has a proven record of success). In addition, when the scholarship limit goes to 105 he should allocate at least 1 scholarship to someone specializing punt returns. Identify someone that can effectively return punts and offer him; as opposed to just seeing what WR or DB that you have that can return punts. In addition, there will probably be someone in the transfer portal that has a proven record of being a "dangerous punt returner". If the NCAA eventually adopts the new kick off rule that the NFL will be using this season, getting a good special teams coach and "return guy" will pay dividends on the kick return team too.
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