Ohio State didn’t just tweak its special teams this offseason - it hit the reset button. After two years without a dedicated coordinator overseeing the unit, the Buckeyes made a decisive move, bringing in four new specialists via the transfer portal and hiring a seasoned coach to lead the charge.
Let’s start with the additions. The headliner is Connor Hawkins, a transfer from Baylor who’s expected to take over field goal and PAT duties.
Hawkins brings three years of eligibility and a solid reputation from his time in Waco. According to head coach Ryan Day, Hawkins came highly recommended by trusted voices in the kicking world - and that endorsement carries weight when it comes to a position where consistency is everything.
At punter, Ohio State added Brady Young from Houston Christian. He’ll compete with returning veteran Joe McGuire for the starting job.
McGuire is back for another year, and Day praised his quick release and overall execution. But the Buckeyes clearly wanted to build depth and competition at the position - a smart move, especially in a phase of the game where one misstep can flip field position and momentum in an instant.
The Buckeyes also upgraded their long snapping with the addition of Dalton Riggs from UCF. And make no mistake - Riggs isn’t just another name on the depth chart.
Day called him “the best long snapper in the country,” and pointed to his precision as a major asset. Riggs’ snaps are so clean and consistent that holders don’t even need to spin the ball to get the laces right - a subtle but critical detail when you’re talking about the margin for error on a 45-yard field goal in front of 100,000 fans.
Ohio State also brought in Marcello Diomede from Notre Dame to handle kickoffs, further bolstering a unit that now has a specialist for every scenario. And to round out the class, the Buckeyes added walk-on kicker Cooper Peterson from Charlotte, North Carolina - another layer of depth in a room that suddenly looks a lot more complete.
But perhaps the most important move of all was the hiring of Robby Discher as special teams coordinator. Discher, who arrives from Illinois, wasn’t mentioned by name during Day’s recent radio appearance (the show was recorded before the hire), but his addition signals a clear shift in philosophy. After two years of splitting special teams responsibilities among assistants, Ohio State is once again treating the third phase of the game with the attention it deserves.
Day emphasized the strategic approach behind the portal moves, noting the importance of being “thoughtful” when addressing roster needs. “You can’t just go wild,” he said, acknowledging the balance between talent acquisition and roster constraints. It’s a reminder that even in the era of the transfer portal, building a championship-caliber team still requires precision - not just in who you bring in, but how they fit into the bigger picture.
Ohio State’s special teams overhaul is more than just a facelift - it’s a calculated investment in winning the hidden yardage battle. And if the new pieces come together the way the Buckeyes hope, it could be a difference-maker in the games where every yard - and every point - counts.