Under Day, Ohio State has more often than not been proficient on both sides of the ball, but one aspect that could use some improvement is special teams. Last year, the Buckeyes had their moments in special teams with a couple of lengthy returns, including one kick return touchdown from former cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr, but still ranked just 67th nationally in special teams, according to SP+.
With the special teams being a mixed bag under Day, it was no surprise that he hired former Illinois special teams coach Robby Discher for the same position over the offseason.
“The goal is to always try to elevate any place you’re at, and that’s always a challenge,” Discher said. “And it’s a competitive business, and it’s a performance-based business. So it’s like that with the players. It’s like that with the coaches. Obviously, there are a lot of things that Ohio State’s done extremely well, and no sense in changing some of the stuff. Some things you feel strongly about, maybe you can have your own fingerprint on.”
Discher hasn’t been in Columbus for very long but already appreciates the intensity that players have brought to his drills.
“The guys do a really good job competing here,” Discher said. “It’s been fun to be a part of. We’ve done a lot of competitive drills and technical drills. All the guys on offense, defense are extremely bought in. We’re just trying to get better every day.”
One specific area of special teams that failed Ohio State in the postseason last year was placekicking. Senior kicker Jayden Fielding had a pivotal 27-yard field goal miss in Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game and missed another field goal in the team’s loss to Miami (Fla.) in the Cotton Bowl. The Buckeyes replaced him with former Baylor kicker Connor Hawkins, who made 18 of 22 field goals last year with a long of 54 yards. Discher, who had a similarly productive kicker at Illinois last year, with David Olano making 20 of 23 field goals, was complimentary of Hawkins.
“Connor’s super talented,” Discher said. “He had a great year last year at Baylor. And both (Hawkins and Olano), if you’re asking me to compare them, have a really good mindset. They’re never too high. They’re never too low. If you miss a kick, you’ve already forgotten about it by the time you’ve got the next opportunity. So both of those guys have got a good mindset. They’re both super competitive, which is a big thing as well.”
Even as the leader of Ohio State’s special teams unit, Discher has plenty of weapons at his disposal. Discher said one thing he appreciates about Ohio State’s culture is the all-hands-on-deck approach to special teams.
“The best players play on special teams here, which is obviously the culture that has been set,” Discher said. The expectation is your best players are on special teams, and everybody else is competing to find a spot.”
The kick return position is always one of particular interest to Ohio State fans, and so far in the spring, receivers Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Inniss, Chris Henry Jr. and Devin McCuin have all earned reps there. Discher said the Buckeyes haven’t landed on a permanent solution at that spot.
“We’ll see,” Discher said. “The good thing about here is you’ve got a lot of good options. There’s a lot of good players that have done it in games here. There’s also a lot of new guys. And there’s a lot of good options. But at this point, I don’t have a great feeling (of who will return kicks).”
