For anyone who needs a reminder, there are three phases in the game of football.
As with every offseason, prose has been penned to preview Ohio State’s offense and defense, but one of the more covert storylines to follow in the spring and summer has been what the Buckeyes are doing on special teams now that they have moved on from maligned coordinator Parker Fleming.
With starters at punter and kicker ready to go and returners eager to be tested out in-game, Ryan Day is expecting a collaborative effort from players and staff to see some resurgence on special teams, an effort spearheaded by him and quality control coach Rob Keys.
“Rob is gonna be sort of the ringleader of it all, and I’m right there with him for everything,” Day said on Thursday. “We’re gonna utilize everybody we possibly can.”
A key rule change brought Keys from the background to the foreground of Ohio State’s punting and kicking plans in 2024. In June, the NCAA removed the limit on the number of on-field coaches teams can have in practices and games.
That took Keys, the former head coach and special teams coordinator for D-II Findlay, from a background advisory role on special teams to help coach coaches on what to do to a foreground position where he’ll work hand-in-hand with Day to oversee the operation.
Each special teams unit has been assigned to a different position coach as safeties coach Matt Guerrieri handles the punt team, linebackers coach James Laurinaitis takes the kickoff team and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline and tight ends coach Keenan Bailey work with the punt and kick return units.
Ohio State also has another program assistant, Gunner Daniel, who is working closely with the Buckeyes’ specialists now that support staffers are allowed to coach.
“We’ve got everybody involved,” Day said. “Tim Walton’s been a big part of this, each of the coaches have been very much involved with the special teams here in the preseason. So Rob is the point person, he’s the one who’s gonna help game plan and organize, meet with the individual group.”
Keys’ background as a kicking coach will see him work directly with Ohio State’s returning starting kicker, Jayden Fielding, a walk-on who went 49-of-50 on extra points and 16-of-20 (80%) on field goals in 2023.
The competition to start at punter has been won out by Australian freshman Nick McLarty, who defeated walk-on Joe McGuire and Buffalo transfer Anthony Venneri.
"He's made a good transition into the country but also playing football, not Australian rules football, which is very, very different," Day said of McLarty on Thursday. "The snap-to-kick has improved. He's a taller guy, so the ball has to get off his foot faster. I think he's done that. His hang time is good. He's been more consistent.
"He'll kick a few that go out of the stadium. He's got a strong leg. But we're looking for that consistency. He's shown that here most recently, so he's got the upper hand right now."
That leaves punt and kick returner as the other main positions of interest. The same group of offensive skill players has been in the mix to claim those roles since the spring – wide receivers Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, Brandon Inniss, Jeremiah Smith, Jayden Ballard and Bryson Rodgers with running back TreVeyon Henderson – and Day said the plan is to test different options out in the early weeks of the season.
“Emeka will still be in the mix both as a punt returner and as a kick returner,” Day said on Aug. 15. “We do have Carnell as a kick returner. TreVeyon is an option back there as well. At punt returner, Brandon Inniss is an option for us. Jeremiah can do it. We do have quite a few guys, we are gonna use multiple guys early in the season and kind of see what happens. It’s hard to do that live (in practice). Certainly, Emeka has the most experience back there, Jayden Ballard has experience as well. So early on, Brian’s gonna make some decisions on who that will be, get them in the game.”
Like its offense and defense, Ohio State’s special teams are striving to be national championship-caliber as the 2024 season gets underway.
“We met this morning with the entire staff who is involved in special teams, went through the gameplan in all four phases,” Day said Tuesday. “When we get on the field, I’ll be involved in terms of the substitutions, making the calls with Rob, but then getting feedback from each individual coach.”
