Ryan Day isn’t just tweaking around the edges this offseason - he’s making real, targeted upgrades to Ohio State’s coaching staff, and special teams is the latest area getting a serious facelift.
The Buckeyes are expected to bring in Robby Discher from Illinois as their new special teams coordinator, a move that signals a clear intent to raise the bar in a phase of the game that’s been lagging behind. Discher has spent the last three seasons guiding Illinois’ special teams and tight ends, and he’s built a strong reputation as one of the top specialists in the country. His résumé includes stops at Tulane, Georgia, Louisiana, and Toledo - but no matter the program, his focus has consistently been on special teams.
This hire marks the third full-time assistant coaching addition for Ohio State this offseason, following the arrivals of new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton. And just like with Smith, it appears Discher won’t be one of the 10 on-field coaches permitted to recruit on the road - a strategic use of the NCAA’s evolving coaching structure by Day and his staff.
For the past two seasons, special teams duties had largely fallen to quality control coach Rob Keys. But the Buckeyes’ performance in that area - particularly in the kicking game - left a lot to be desired. It’s no secret that Ohio State’s special teams unit hasn’t been up to the program’s standard, and this offseason has been about getting that right.
The numbers tell the story. In ESPN’s SP+ special teams rankings, Illinois finished 30th last season under Discher’s guidance.
Ohio State? They were 67th.
And that wasn’t a fluke year for Illinois - they were 16th in 2024, and in Discher’s first season in 2023, Pro Football Focus ranked their special teams unit seventh-best in the country. That year, Illinois led the nation in blocked kicks and punts with seven - three more than any other team during the regular season.
That kind of production speaks to not just talent, but elite coaching and preparation.
But the Buckeyes aren’t stopping at just a coaching upgrade. They’ve been active in the transfer portal, too - and perhaps no move was bigger than the addition of kicker Connor Hawkins from Baylor. Ohio State needed a reliable leg, and Hawkins brings exactly that.
In his one season as Baylor’s primary kicker, Hawkins hit on 81.2% of his field goals (18-of-22), including a stellar 3-of-4 from 50+ yards. He was perfect from inside 40 yards (10-for-10) and didn’t miss a single PAT (37-for-37).
His career long? A booming 54-yarder.
And he’s not just a one-year rental - Hawkins arrives in Columbus with three years of eligibility left.
His defining moment last season came in crunch time: a 53-yard game-winner with 36 seconds left to beat Kansas State, turning a 34-32 deficit into a 35-34 Baylor win. That’s the kind of clutch performance that Ohio State fans will be hoping to see in big moments come fall.
The Buckeyes also shored up other areas of the special teams unit with the additions of long snapper Dalton Riggs from UCF and punter Brady Young from Houston Christian. And looking ahead, they’ve already secured a commitment from 2026 kicker Cooper Peterson, a North Carolina native who pledged to the Buckeyes in January.
All of this points to a clear message from Ryan Day and his staff: special teams matter, and Ohio State is done treating them like an afterthought. With a proven coach in Discher and a revamped roster of specialists, the Buckeyes are making a concerted push to turn one of last season’s weaknesses into a strength.