Ohio State has added a transfer return specialist to its roster as a walk-on.
Shawn Lodge, a wide receiver from Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary High School who spent the last two years at Presbyterian College, committed to Ohio State on Friday as a preferred walk-on.
HME #Committed pic.twitter.com/IF1r1iq9Xz
— Shawn Lodge (@slodge03) May 10, 2024
The 6-foot, 170-pound receiver caught just 20 passes for 244 yards in two seasons at the FCS level but was more productive as a kickoff and punt returner, gaining 524 yards on 36 kickoff returns and 92 yards on 20 punt returns for the Blue Hose.
While he likely faces an uphill path to playing time at wide receiver, his experience in the return game gives the Buckeyes another candidate to handle kickoff and punt return duties this year. The Buckeyes will need a new kickoff returner in 2024 after Xavier Johnson exhausted his eligibility while it is uncertain whether Emeka Egbuka will continue to return punts after handling those duties for most of the past two seasons.
