Ohio State’s special teams outlook is starting to take shape as the Buckeyes look ahead to the 2026 season.
The Buckeyes face immediate questions in the kicking game following the departures of kicker Jayden Fielding and long snapper John Ferlmann, leaving two key specialist roles to be filled. Ohio State will look to address those needs through a mix of returning options, transfers, and incoming recruits.
Buckeye Sports Bulletin broke down how Ohio State’s special teams depth chart will project heading into the 2026 season.
Kicker
K1: Connor Hawkins
K2: Cooper Peterson
Ohio State’s starting kicker position will be up for grabs following the departures of former Ball State transfer Jackson Courville and Jayden Fielding, who converted 45 of his 57 field goal attempts (78.9 percent) during his three seasons as the Buckeyes starter.
Connor Hawkins, who transferred to Ohio State on Jan. 14 following a two-year career at Baylor, will likely be the top candidate to take over the Buckeyes’ starting kicker duties. Hawkins was 18 of 22 on field goals last season for the Bears, including an impressive 3 of 4 on kicks from 50 yards or farther and 5 of 8 on kicks from 40 to 49 yards.
Charlotte (N.C.) Corvian Community kicker Cooper Peterson (6-0, 195) was a late gate for Ohio State in its 2026 recruiting class on Jan. 23. Peterson was 8-of-9 on field goal attempts for Corvian last season and also served as the Cardinals’ starting punter in 2025.
Punter
P1: Joe McGuire
P2: Brady Young
McGuire, who served as Ohio State’s starting punter over the past two seasons, returns for his third year as the Buckeyes’ primary punter.
In 2024, McGuire booted the ball 47 times for an average of 42.1 yards, marginally improving that mark to 42.4 yards per attempt on 29 punts in 2025.
With the loss of Nick McLarty to Arizona State, Young joins the Ohio State punter unit after four seasons at Cincinnati and a fifth year at Houston Christian in 2025. While Young didn’t see the field in his time with the Bearcats, he started all 12 games and punted 69 times for an average of 41.8 yards, including a long of 66.
Long Snapper
LS1: Dalton Riggs
LS2: Grant Mills
With the loss of three-year starting long snapper John Ferlmann, UCF transfer Dalton Riggs and redshirt freshman and former North Carolina transfer Grant Mills are in line to compete for the starting job.
Riggs spent 2024 as BYU’s starting long snapper before transferring to UCF and earning the job for the Knights last season.
After arriving from North Carolina in 2024, Mills backed up Ferlmann in 2025 but did not see game action last season.
Kick Returner
KR1: Kyle Parker
KR2: Anthony “Turbo’ Rogers/ Brandon Inniss
With Ohio State losing a top kick returner in Lorenzo Styles Jr., LSU transfer wide receiver Kyle Parker could be in line to take over as the starter.
“The dynamic 5-11, 195-pound Parker returned two kicks for 35 yards for the Tigers in 2025 and showcased his skills with the ball in his hands, totaling 31 catches for 330 yards and four touchdowns.
Wide receiver Brandon Inniss could once again return to punt returning duties after returning five kicks for 66 yards with a high of 37 yards in 2025. With another year expected to see an expanded role on offense and already holding a starting spot as the team’s punt returner, BSB gave the nod to Parker.
Former 2025 four-star running back Anthony “Turbo” Rogers, who missed multiple games this season due to injury, could be another solid option for the Buckeyes at kick returner.
Rogers served as the kick returner for Carver High School in Montgomery, Ala. in his senior year of high school.
Punt Returner
PR1: Brandon Inniss
PR2: Legend Bey
It remains likely that Brandon Inniss spends another season as Ohio State’s starting punt returner after handling the role in each of the last two seasons.
Inniss was rather unproductive in 2024, returning 15 punts for an average of 7.1 yards, before he increased those figures to 17 punt returns for an average of 10.6 yards per return in 2025.
In a somewhat bold move, Ohio State could look to another one of its young speedsters in North Forney, Texas, four-star athlete Legend Bey (5-10, 175) as a potential option for the backup punt returner role.
Bey rushed for 1,912 yards and 28 touchdowns on 11.7 yards per carry in his season at North Forney and has reportedly ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash time.
