Better Know a Buckeye: Liam McCullough

Ohio State's 2015 recruiting class is a consensus top-five class in the past recruiting cycle. As such, it fits the billing of a national championship program like Ohio State. However, it is an unusual one. Last week's feature on the first South Dakotan to receive an offer from and sign with Ohio State illustrated how regionally diverse this class is. This week's feature on Liam McCullough, the long snapper in the class, underscores how no stone was left unturned by the coaching staff in recruiting the last year.

Long snappers don't elicit much excitement from the fan base, but Ohio State fans should take comfort in knowing they got the best long snapper recruit in the country. Ohio State's coaches did not have to travel far to get him either, as he hails from nearby Worthington.

I introduce Liam McCullough in this feature in the usual fashion. I discuss his recruitment and his commitment following a summer camp in June last year. I proceed, as best I can, with a discussion of the strengths and areas for improvement for McCullough when he enrolls. I conclude with a projection of a redshirt in 2015 and some highlight film you can watch.

HIS RECRUITMENT

Liam McCullough had been on the radar for Ohio State coaches a year before he got his scholarship offer, receiving a preferred walk-on offer the summer after his junior year. While the position is important for those who take special teams seriously, it's difficult for coaches to part with a scholarship offer for the position when a walk-on is an option. In the meantime, McCullough fielded interest from various programs across the Midwest.

Ohio State's coaches were unwilling to part with a scholarship offer at that time, but Michigan State and Wisconsin were. McCullough earned a scholarship offer from the Badgers after camping in Madison on June 19, 2013. The next day, Mark Dantonio called and extended an offer to play for Michigan State on a full scholarship. Long snapper prospects do not receive many offers. The only other offer McCullough received before committing to Ohio State was from Kentucky.

Ohio State's coaches upgraded the preferred walk-on offer to a full scholarship offer on February 11 of last year. McCullough told Eleven Warriors that receiving the news was a pleasant surprise.

"It was a bit of surprise," McCullough told 11W. "They had offered me as a preferred walk-on over the summer after camp, but I was very excited and surprised to pick up an offer today."

McCullough professed to be an Ohio State fan growing up. Put another way, Ohio State became the new leader for the country's no. 1 long snapper recruit. However, McCullough was unwilling to commit to the Buckeyes without evaluating all other options. Four days after Ohio State's offer, Kentucky offered. McCullough made his first visit to Kentucky two days before his commitment to Ohio State. He also unofficially visited Michigan State twice in April.

While McCullough was diligent in evaluating his options, there was not a lot of suspense about the final decision that came after his unofficial visit and camp at Ohio State.

HIS COMMITMENT

On June 10, 2014, Liam McCullough became the fifth member of Ohio State's 2015 recruiting class. His commitment came a day after that of Grant Schmidt, who also made it to Columbus for the one-day camp.

McCullough felt that the time was right to end his recruitment then.

"Today just felt right," he said of why he chose to commit this afternoon. "I had a great two days at camp and a great time meeting with coach Meyer today. Ohio State just felt like home."

"As soon as I told coach Meyer (I was committing) he gave me a hug and went from recruiting mode to coaching mode," McCullough added. "He and I are already meeting tomorrow during the last day of camp to get after it."

McCullough had just three other offers (Kentucky, Michigan State, and Wisconsin). Michigan State may have been the biggest competitor for McCullough's services.

WHERE HE EXCELS

Long snapper is not a trendy position in football. At least, we can comfortably project that the probability of a long snapper winning the Maxwell Award or the Heisman Trophy is almost zero. However, it might be the surest money position in the entire sport. The best long snappers play pro football longer than every other position on the field. Rules of the game afford long snappers protection on par with quarterbacks, which contribute to their longevity.

Good long snappers might be as hard to find as a good quarterback. The 2002-03 New York Giants can attest how subtly important this position is. In short, demand may exceed supply. Being a good long snapper is a great gig, if you can swing it.

Several college football programs are content to find walk-ons to play this position, but not Ohio State. Bryce Haynes, the best long snapper recruit in the country when he signed with Ohio State in 2011, is a useful illustration of how valuable a great long snapper is. Great long snappers snap arrows to punters, induce fair catches, and can be a game-changer on special teams. Remember the 2012 game against Penn State? Ohio State scored its first touchdown of the game after a Penn State holding penalty on fourth down gave the Buckeyes a new set of downs. Penn State's return team couldn't handle how good Bryce Haynes was at his job.

McCullough as long snapper prospect is the best in the country in his class. Much like Bryce Haynes snaps arrows to punters, McCullough snaps punts quickly to his punter. Right now, quick hands and velocity might be McCullough's greatest attribute and why he ranks as the best long snapper in the country.

MUST WORK ON

Long snappers are taught to follow through their snaps more than McCullough currently does. His hands are so quick and strong that it does not appear to matter, though he could improve his velocity and, importantly, his accuracy if he followed through snaps.

Further, I'm not that convinced McCullough is the runner that Haynes currently is. McCullough might be an average runner; Haynes, by contrast, is reliably the first person down the field on punt teams. This could be a function of me only having sophomore film on him.

REDSHIRT?

McCullough has said he expects to redshirt. Barring an injury to both long snappers on the two deep, he will.

HIGHLIGHTS

There is a relative shortage of in-game footage of McCullough, though plenty of film of him snapping balls in a sterilized practice setting. Here is the most recent film of him snapping football in a practice setting.

What follows is a more comprehensive film of him snapping and some in-game reps. This is from the summer of 2013, which would have been after McCullough's sophomore year.