Ohio State Sophomore Wide Receiver Nolan Buado Becomes Latest Buckeye To Lose Black Stripe
Ohio State sophomore wide receiver Nolan Baudo became the latest Buckeye to become an official member of the team on Tuesday after losing his black stripe after practice.
Baudo, a Chicago, Ill., native and former high school teammate of fellow Buckeye wideout Carnell Tate at Chicago Marist, joined the program last June as a preferred walk-on, receiving limited reps behind Ohio State’s more highly-touted scholarship wide receivers in practice, but still dressing for every game and even traveling with the team to the Cotton Bowl last season.
Despite the limited action, though, Baudo still has been able to put his imprint on the team during his short time in Columbus. In an informal poll among the players, about 47 percent of the team answered “Buado” when asked the question, “Who do you hang out with?” cementing himself as a well-liked and well-respected player among his peers.
“I think that’s just playing a big part in the preferred walk-on position: being a humble person and knowing your role and staying in your lane,” Baudo told the Columbus Dispatch in 2023. “Just going to work every single day regardless of the circumstance.”
“Your team can be great on paper. If we’ve got no team chemistry and no leaders, you don’t have everything,” Baudo told the Beverly Review this offseason. “That was big for me. I was talking more this past spring, developing these friendships and relationships. I should be responsible holding everyone to the same standard.”
Baudo is the 18th Buckeye to shed their black stripe this offseason and the second walk-on, joining fellow wide receiver Brennen Schramm, who lost his alongside true freshman Jeremiah Smith on March 21. Baudo was the second Buckeye to earn the distinction after Tuesday’s practice, joining freshman cornerback Aaron Scott, who became the 10th member of the 2023 recruiting class to lose their black stripe.