Luke Wypler felt like he couldn’t go wrong as he debated whether to return to Ohio State for a fourth year or enter the 2023 NFL draft.
But after finishing his second year as Ohio State’s starting center with a strong showing against Georgia and projected top-five overall pick Jalen Carter, Wypler felt like it was the right time for him to begin his professional football career.
“You couldn’t have really made a bad decision, I kept telling myself. Whatever I choose, I knew I was gonna be alright,” Wypler said Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “And for me, the NFL just made more sense at the time.”
When Luke Wypler arrived at Ohio State in 2020, he wouldn’t have guessed he’d be entering the NFL draft just three years later. It’s rare for an Ohio State offensive lineman to go pro after just three years in college, though the Buckeyes have two offensive linemen who did so this year in Wypler and Paris Johnson Jr.
“Me and Paris were kind of joking about it the other day when we first got here,” Wypler said. “Three years ago at this time, we were hanging out in the dorm rooms getting ready for our first spring ball practice. We had no idea the journey and the road that was ahead for us.”
While Johnson was always expected to enter this year’s draft as a projected first-round pick, Wypler’s decision to declare came as a bit more of a surprise. Even Ohio State’s coaches were caught off-guard, as Ryan Day said in February that Wypler’s departure was “one we didn't really, certainly expect.”
Currently projected as a third-round pick in many mock drafts, Wypler said he does not have an expectation of where he will be drafted. He feels comfortable with his decision, though, because he believes he is ready to play at the next level after starting every one of Ohio State’s games at center over the past two seasons and going up against many of the defensive tackles who will be selected in this year’s draft in the process.
“I played against some of the best competition that college football has to offer, and for me, I excelled and played well,” Wypler said. “So for me, it made sense for the next step.”
He said Ohio State’s coaches were supportive of his decision even if they didn’t anticipate it.
“They were happy for me,” Wypler said. “They're happy I was comfortable in my decision and they wished me the best of luck.”
Johnson said he wasn’t surprised by Wypler’s decision and that he expects his former linemate to be successful at the next level.
“He's always been super smart, and he works hard,” Johnson said of Wypler. “It's no surprise that he came out in three to me, because I know the work he's he's put in when he's not watched.”
“You couldn’t have really made a bad decision, I kept telling myself. Whatever I choose, I knew I was gonna be alright.” – Luke Wypler on deciding whether to enter the NFL draft or stay at Ohio State
As fellow draft prospects Johnson and Dawand Jones also have, Wypler credited Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye with playing an integral role in getting him ready to play at the next level.
“I think him coming in was one of the biggest things in my career. And for me, that's a relationship and a person beyond football that I’m gonna have for my life,” Wypler said. “You ask me, Dawand, Paris, anybody that played for him this past season, I can't express it more than enough that he was one of the key factors why I’m standing on this podium today.”
Wypler said it does still bother him that his career ended with back-to-back losses against Michigan and Georgia, especially since the Buckeyes never beat Michigan during his Ohio State career. But he is thankful for his three years he has had as a Buckeye and expects to remain close to the program even as he moves on to the next level.
“I'm kind of excited to go back to Columbus and see all the guys again, see how everyone's doing after the winter,” Wypler said.
