Jesse Mirco is For The Brand.
On Wednesday, the Ohio State punter was one of several players named to a watch list for the Ray Guy Award, an honor presented to the best punter in college football.
earns preseason watch list
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 2, 2023
@Jesse_Mirco29 pic.twitter.com/RLAWinzjwU
In 2022, Mirco was one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award after a season in which he had multiple career-best statistics. The Fremantle, Australia native averaged 45.4 yards on his punts – the sixth-best single-season average in Ohio State history – and dropped 37 of 49 punts inside the 20-yard line. He also had a career-long punt against Northwestern, where the wind in Evanston, Illinois, allowed him to boot the ball 77 yards. Mirco punted seven times for a personal-best 352 yards in that contest.
For his career, Mirco has recorded 80 punts with an average of 44.2 yards per punt, an average that, if the number holds, would rank fourth in program history. Mirco has also handled holding duties for former Ohio State kicker Noah Ruggles. He will continue in the same role in 2023 for either Fielding, Parker Lewis or Casey Magyar.
With 11 more watch lists still set to be announced by the National College Football Awards Association, the Buckeyes have now had nine players named to preseason watch lists after Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka were named to the Maxwell Award watch list, Donovan Jackson, Matt Jones and Mike Hall Jr. were named to the Outland Trophy watch list and JT Tuimoloau, Tommy Eichenberg and Lathan Ransom were named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list.
Ohio State Players on Preseason Watch Lists
- WR Marvin Harrison Jr.: Maxwell Award
- WR Emeka Egbuka: Maxwell Award
- G Donovan Jackson: Outland Trophy
- G Matt Jones: Outland Trophy
- DT Mike Hall Jr.: Outland Trophy
- DE JT Tuimoloau: Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lott IMPACT Trophy
- LB Tommy Eichenberg: Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lott IMPACT Trophy
- S Lathan Ransom: Bronko Nagurski Trophy
- P Jesse Mirco: Ray Guy Award
