Jeremy Ruckert is going home.
The former Buckeye tight end from Long Island was selected by his childhood favorite team, the New York Jets, as the No. 101 overall pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft on Friday, becoming the fourth Ohio State player taken in this year's draft.
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 30, 2022
Want to see what pure joy looks like?
— jamie stuart (@jamiestuartTV) April 30, 2022
Heres the moment Long Islands @Jeremy_Ruckert1 got drafted by his favorite team the @nyjets. @NewsdaySports @NewsdayHSsports @BeerShot21 pic.twitter.com/hYqmzrQAnj
Ruckert joins Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Nicholas Petit-Frere as Buckeyes who have been drafted so far. He was the second Buckeye selected by the Jets in the 2022 draft, who also took Wilson with the 10th overall pick in the first round, and the second Buckeye selected in the third round, along with Petit-Frere.
His selection marks the second consecutive year Ohio State has had a tight end drafted, as Luke Farrell was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2021 draft.
In four years with the Buckeyes, Ruckert racked up 54 catches, 615 yards and 12 touchdowns, pulling down 26 passes for a career-high 309 yards during his senior season.
The Lindenhurst, New York, native entered Ohio State as the No. 37 overall player in the class of 2018, ranked as the No. 2 tight end in the country and the No. 1 player in his home state. Ruckert began picking up steam as a sophomore in 2019, when he caught two touchdown passes in the season opener against Florida Atlantic and went on to create perhaps the highlight play of his college career in the Big Ten Championship Game with a one-handed touchdown catch in a come-from-behind win over Wisconsin.
After five touchdown catches in the eight-game 2020 season, Ruckert opted to return to Ohio State for one more season, helping the Buckeyes to an 11-2 record and a Rose Bowl win in 2021. Ruckert suffered a foot injury at the Senior Bowl that kept him out of the NFL Scouting Combine and Ohio State's pro day, but the reliable tight end nonetheless heard his name called before the end of the third round.
Ruckert is likely to begin his NFL career as a backup to C.J. Uzomah, who the Jets signed away from the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency, but has the potential to eventually put up bigger numbers at the next level than he ever did at Ohio State.
