Ohio State Football Notebook: ‘I think he’s earned that opportunity’

Insert Australian Pun(ter) Here

For the third time in just over a decade, the Buckeyes will be starting an Australian punter. The run began with Cameron Johnston from 2013-2016, then Jesse Mirco from 2021-2023. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day made the announcement following practice on Thursday, anointing freshman Nick McLarty as the next in line.

“Right now, Nick is going to be the starter,” Day said. “The competition will go into next week, but right now, as we head into the weekend, he is the starter and the plan is for him to be the first player to go out in the game on Saturday against Akron.”

McLarty was a late addition to OSU’s recruiting class, arriving this summer. The 6-foot-7, 255-pound Australian stands out in a crowd, but has also stood out in the punting competition with countryman Joe McGuire and Buffalo transfer Anthony Venneri.

“He’s got a strong leg. He’s made a good transition into the country, but also just playing football and not Australian Rules football, which is very, very different,” Day said.

As of a week ago, the competition was still undecided and consistency was the main goal. Obviously, somebody’s going to have to start, but this wasn’t a “by default” choice according to Day.

“The snap to kick has really improved. That was one thing. He’s a taller guy, so the ball has to get off of his foot faster. I think he’s done that,” Day said. “His hang time has been good, and he’s been more consistent. You’ll see he’ll kick a few that will just go right out of the stadium. He’s just got a strong, strong leg. We’re looking for that consistency. He’s shown that here most recently, so he’s got the upper hand right now.”

The New Guard

There are only a couple of position battles still going on for the Buckeyes right now, and one of them is at right guard between redshirt sophomores Tegra Tshabola and Carson Hinzman.

Hinzman was the Buckeyes’ starter last year at center but has made the move to guard in order to make room for Alabama transfer center Seth McLaughlin. Hinzman has had to deal with an illness in preseason practice, which has opened the pathway for Tshabola to emerge.

But that emergence hasn’t just been because of somebody else’s unfortunate circumstances. Tshabola has earned his playing time, but Day’s not quite ready to name a starter yet.

“Yeah, I think he’s definitely going to play at guard,” he said of Tshabola on Thursday. “Whether he starts, we’ll probably decide here coming off of Saturday. But he’s definitely going to play unless something drastic were to happen. I think he’s earned that opportunity. How much and if it’s the whole game, we’ll decide that as we get through the weekend. But for sure, he’s earned the right to play in this game. We’ll wait a couple more days to decide who the starters are going to be.”

Young McDonald

Sophomore nose tackle Kayden McDonald may not be known by many Buckeye fans at the moment, but that’s about to change. McDonald will likely be the top reserve on the interior, but he’s still young.

Fortunately, fall camp has been a productive month for McDonald.

“Well, he’s growing,” defensive line coach Larry Johnson said on Thursday. “He’s growing as a player. He’s got to play more football, and so the best way to get that done is this whole fall camp is getting more reps. He certainly has the talent now to be able to play three to five plays in a game. And that’s what we’re trying to get him ready for. And then he can go from one play to 30 plays. So I think he’s done a great job thus far. He’s a young player, strong, powerful, but there’s still some growth there, and we’re seeing him continue to develop.”

McDonald flashed at times as a true freshman last year, but those flashes need to be a more consistent light this year. Johnson believes things are trending in that direction.

“I think he’s stronger, he’s in better shape, his weight is down. He’s in better condition,” he said. “So when you get all of those components together, you get a chance to really do something special. He’s done a great job taking care of himself. He’s done a great job in the weight room and the offseason, and so now it’s about playing football.”

It Starts Up Front

They say a secondary’s best friend is a dominating pass rush, but that doesn’t mean a lockdown secondary can’t also be a benefit to a defensive line.

This year, the Buckeyes return four starters from a 2023 secondary that led the nation in yards per pass attempt (5.0) and finished second in pass efficiency defense. Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun may be the the best cornerback tandem in the nation. Jordan Hancock is an underrated yet very important piece at nickel. Strong safety Lathan Ransom has seen it all. And then Ohio State went and added Alabama transfer Caleb Downs, who is seen by many as the best safety in college football.

All five members of the secondary will have to cover, but Igbinosun and Burke in man coverage are a blessing for a pass rush.

Let Larry Johnson explain.

“Oh, no doubt. Rushing and coverage work together,” he said. “You’ve got a great secondary playing man-to-man, getting them to hold the ball a little bit. It certainly helps us a lot with corners like that. The guys in the back end have done a great job doing that.”

But the pass rush’s job doesn’t change simply because they know they have lockdown defenders behind them. They’re doing everything they can to make those cornerbacks even better.

“It’s an every-day process,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to rush the passer, whether they cover it or not, which I know they will. But getting there is really key. Can we affect and change the throw and then make interceptions in the back end? I think that’s important. We try not to look behind us. We try to make sure our eyes are focused on what we can do up front. We never turn around and say, ‘Oh, they caught the ball.’ That’s on us. That’s on us, and that’s the way we approach it.”

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