Ohio State Football Outlook: The Special Teams Depth Chart

With the Buckeyes’ spring game in the rear-view mirror, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and his staff will enter the summer with a barebones outline for their roster’s depth chart in 2022.

Because the program doesn’t release an official depth chart, Buckeye Sports Bulletin compiled observations and resources to build its first version of the Ohio State starting offensive, defensive and special teams players.

Consider this article as you would an NFL mock draft. Ohio State’s depth chart will undoubtedly change between May and August. Injuries, the transfer portal, and other factors will cause roster movement. For now, here’s BSB’s first version of the 2022 depth chart projection based on what we’ve seen and heard around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and Ohio Stadium this spring.

KICKER

Starters(s): Noah Ruggles, Parker Lewis

Backup(s): Dominic DiMaccio, Jake Siebert, Jayden Fielding

This is a position with much more intrigue now than when Ohio State began spring practice. Graduate kicker Noah Ruggles, fresh off last season in which he completed 20 of 21 field goals and kicked the game-winning field goal in Ohio State’s Rose Bowl victory over Utah, was the presumed starter exiting the season.

While Ruggles is still expected to handle field goal duties for Ohio State, he took the spring semester off from football (with team permission) and came back in recent weeks to find USC transfer Parker Lewis on the roster.

Lewis is not expected to supplant Ruggles at placekicker, but could begin handling kickoff responsibilities. Ruggles had just 21 touchbacks on 99 kickoffs last season, while Lewis had 22 touchbacks on 38 attempts for the Trojans. He’s not too shabby at field goals, either, connecting on 74.3 percent (26 of 35) of his kicks last year, so he could step in if needed.

Beyond those two, Ohio State has just one kicker – junior Jake Siebert – that has attempted a field goal, and he is 1 of 2 in his career. Senior Dominic DiMaccio has kicked some extra points in the past, and freshman Jayden Fielding is a walk-on. Another walk-on, Garrison Smith, entered his name into the transfer portal this offseason.

PUNTER

Starter: Jesse Mirco

Backup: Michael O’Shaughnessy

Things are more settled at punter, where graduate Jesse Mirco will take care of things for a second season and senior Michael O’Shaughnessy will backup Mirco.

Though he did not necessarily light things up like his predecessors before him, Mirco was serviceable for Ohio State last year, punting 31 times and averaging 42.3 yards per punt, which put Ohio State at 80th nationally.

He’ll be looking to boost his numbers, but with the way Ohio State’s offense is trending, it’s possible that Mirco could bear an even smaller workload this season. Additionally, graduate Bradley Robinson returns for a fifth season and his second as the starting long snapper.