Jesse Mirco will be a Buckeye no longer.
After putting up one of the more effective but also unheralded performances of Ohio State's disappointing Cotton Bowl loss Friday, punter Jesse Mirco has entered the transfer portal for his final year of collegiate eligibility.
Ohio State starting punter Jesse Mirco is in the transfer portal, @LettermenRow has learned.
— Spencer Holbrook (@SpencerHolbrook) December 31, 2023
I cant write a story because Im literally on the tarmac. It will be on our site soon.
Mirco's decision arrives on the heels of the Buckeyes' 14-3 loss to the Missouri Tigers in which the soon-to-be former Ohio State punter booted the ball eight times for an average of 48.3 yards per punt, including a long of 61 yards. He averaged 44 yards per punt across his entire career at Ohio State, including a 77-yard punt in the windy game against Northwestern last year that proved to be the longest of his career.
A native of Fremantle, Australia and former member of the ProKick Australia academy, Mirco first stepped on campus as a 24-year-old freshman, which will make him an older prospect than most of the players available in the portal. His departure arrives as somewhat of a surprise, especially given much of the ongoing sentiment surrounding other members of Ohio State’s 2021 recruiting class considering a return for the 2024 season. It is unclear at this time whether Mirco’s decision has anything to do with Parker Fleming's future as Ohio State’s special teams coordinator.
Joe McGuire – a freshman and fellow graduate of ProKick Australia – now serves as the only other active punter on Ohio State's roster.