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2026 tOSU Special Teams Discussion

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Fungo Squiggly said:
Would it, though? In 2025, he was:

6-7 from 20-29 (Fielding was 6-7, too)
7-8 from 30-39 (Fielding was 7-8, too)
7-8 from 40-49 (Fielding was 3-4 in 2025, but was 7-8 in 2024)
0-0 from 50+ (Fielding was 0-1)

He has a career-long of 50 made in 2024. Fielding has a career-long of 49 made in 2025z

He’s never missed a “very important kick” like Fielding has, but he’s also never had the opportunity to choke in a huge situation.

On paper, he’s basically the exact same player.
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The stats show the similarity in percentages, but he’s been consistent and clutch for two years solid. He’s been clutch when Illinois has needed him and even has 5 FGs in a single game. When the pressure is on, it seems like the kid can come up big with an “it” factor. That isn’t something we’ve had here in years.

In 2024:
6-6 from 20-29
6-6 from 30-39
4-6 from 40-49
 
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1926Buckeyes said:
I agree, but it’s also much more difficult to maintain elite ST performance than people are letting on. Tressel started out with an all time duo in Nugent and Groom, then slightly downgraded Sanders and then Huston. He had good Ps and Ks players after that, but no All Americans.

Here are the last 24 years of kickers:

Nugent (01-04) 82% (7-9 40-49, 5-6 50+) only found 04 splits, but he did have 8 career 50 yard FGs
Huston (05) 79% (5-8 40-49, 0-2 50+)
Pretorius (06-08) 77% (6-9 40-49, 3-5 50+)
Pettrey (06-09) 74% (12-13 40-49, 6-10 50+)
Barclay (09-10) 79% (4-7 40-49, 0-1 50+)
Basil (10-13) 78% (7-10 40-49, 1-5 50+)
Willoughby (15) 63% (0-3 40-49, 0-0 50+)
Durbin (16) - 77% (2-5 40-49, 0-0 50+)
Nuerenberger (14-18) 72% (6-15 40-49, 0-0 50+)
Haubeil (18-20) 80% (7-9 40-49, 1-1 50+)
Ruggles (21-22) 90% (11-11 40-49, 0-2 50+)
Fielding (23-25) 79% (15-20 40-49, 0-3 50+)

I was shocked to see Ruggles hit 100% from 40-49 and Fielding have more 40 yard FGs than everyone but, I assume, Nugent.

They can and should do better, but OSU has had 3 kickers that were >50% from 50+ in the last 25 years. If they find someone who hits >80% total and >65% from 50, it’d be the first time since Nugent, and probably only the 2nd time in school history. It’s not that they shouldn’t try, but this isn’t something that OSU had until recently and then stopped caring.

Also, this is still college. Tate Sandell won the Groza making 23-24 kicks, 8-9 from 50+, and 4 from 55+. The poor sob then went 1-3 against Bama, missing a 36 yarder and his first 50 yard miss of the season. It’s going to be hard to find a college kicker that’s a machine.
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As many here I'm sure remember, Tressel's kicker at YSU, Jeff Wilkins (49'ers, Eagles, Rams), spearheaded a training camp for kickers that Nugent attended, iirc. (It's a little hazy, but I'm pretty sure it was Wilkins' camp.) That was allegedly a main factor in his development. Don't know what happened to that camp. I wonder if Wilkins has ever been offered a coaching spot at OSU.
 
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lvbuckeye said:
The Ohio State men's soccer team was preseason #3. Offer some NIL money for one of those guys to come kick for the football team.
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Ha! I had 9 years of soccer experience by senior year in high school with a rather powerful soccer leg. I tried being the kicker on the football team that summer. Didn't turn out really well. Kicking a football is different. Coach once said, "Well his kicks are... interesting." Went back to the soccer team after a month.
 
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RuGettinIt said:
Here’s a quick search:

Key Kickers in the 2026 Transfer Portal:
  • Mateen Bhaghani (UCLA) 80% FG%. 5-9 from 50+ with a long of 57
  • Max Gilbert (Tennessee): 74% FG% 5-9 from 50+ with a long of 53
  • Abram Murray (Cal): 67% FG% long of 49, 0-0 from 50+
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A guy who is 67% with nothing from 50+ is a "key kicker"?
 
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RuGettinIt said:
Just want to make sure I understand our situation with PK. We have 0 PKs on the team. We have an offer out to a potential incoming freshman. And that’s it?
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This is what you get when you have a HC who acts like special teams does not even exist and is just a waste of time.
 
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