Ohio State Buckeyes Football: 2026 Special Teams Preview

Ohio State has experience returning on special teams. This is good because almost one-third of all plays are run on special teams. Jim Tressel, the great Buckeye football coach and lieutenant governor of Ohio, said, “You want to end all of your drives with kicks.” So kicking field goals and punting are important parts of the game.

Also important is kicking off and returning the ball. On kickoffs, the way the rules are now, you want to kick the ball deep and to the corner, but not out of bounds. So, there is an art to kicking the ball. Punts need to be high and have hang time in order to allow the defenders the chance to defend the kick. Returning the ball on kicks is important to give your team good field position. Do you think all the athletes Ohio State has give them an advantage on special teams?

Ohio State 2026 Special Teams Preview

Ohio State has some good players, but they have been undone in the past by special teams. Will that be the case this year? The good news is that the Buckeyes have returning or experienced players at each special teams position. The bad news is that those returnees were not that good last season, so how will they fare this year? One thing is for certain: with such a difficult schedule, the Buckeyes will rely on their special teams.

Kicking

The Buckeyes have a transfer at placekicker in Connor Hawkins. He is supposed to have a powerful leg, but he has faltered somewhat in the early going. He will be backed up by freshman Cooper Pederson. Fans were worried because after being granted a fifth year of eligibility, he was rumored to want to come back. He missed short kicks that cost the team a national championship and a victory over their rivals, the University of Michigan.

It is kind of amazing how often a game between two powerful football rivals will conclude with a field goal attempt. Ohio State has a very tough schedule this year, and whether they succeed could come down to the leg of Hawkins. He is very likely to be on television, getting iced, and making a big kick to win the game for the Buckeyes.

Punting

Most drives in football end in a punt, so this part of the game is very important. Joe McGuire is the returning punter for the Buckeyes. He was decent, but not spectacular. He hopes to improve on his statistics this year. He is from Australia. His backup is Brady Young.

Long Snapping

Long snappers never get any attention, but it is vitally important that a good snap is made on every kick. The long snapper for Ohio State is Brady Riggs. He has a backup in Landon Beal, a sophomore transfer to the Buckeyes.

Returning

Ohio State has a lot of great athletes, which ought to be good for the return game. That has not been the case for the Buckeyes since Ted Ginn was back there. Brandon Inness will get the first look at returning balls. However, it is likely that other players will get an opportunity to return kicks.

Conclusion

Special teams is very important to football teams. Almost one-third of football plays are on special teams, so these players must step up. It is the case in college football that special teams can be a problem. This is the case at Ohio State. Historically, that has been the case.