Jesse Mirco on Ohio State commitmemt, adjustment to American football
Ohio State football recruiting can be a wild ride full of twists and turns as recruits from all over the country maneuver their way to signing day. Lettermen Row is here to help navigate the tumultuous roads by getting to the heart of the matter with the young football players themselves. Birminology shows who the young men being recruited by Ohio State truly are — by talking to them. Today’s guest is Buckeyes 2021 punter commitment Jesse Mirco.
Things are about to change pretty significantly for Jesse Mirco.
Ohio State’s most recent 2021 commitment, Mirco’s story isn’t all that different from the Australian-rules football players that have made their way to the United States in the past, including former Buckeyes punter Cameron Johnston, but for the 23-year-old, there’s a whole new world ahead of him.
And that means adjustments are coming, though Mirco’s five-plus years of playing semi-professional sports will no doubt make that a bit easier. The biggest challenges will come from living life in a new country and wearing helmets and pads on the field. Competing at a high-level won’t be a problem for the 6-foot-2, 190-pound athlete who has been punting for only four months.
Jesse Mirco decided on a future in American football following a trip to the United States in 2019. (Birm/Lettermen Row)
“Jesse is a great athlete who has picked up the punting very quickly,” Nathan Chapman, who runs Prokick Australia, which has mentored dozens of college punters in the last decade-plus, told Lettermen Row. “He does a range of kicks but is very strong with the spirals and super handy with the Aussie kicks. He’s a good sized lad too who has pretty good speed, so let’s hope he gets to use the wheels.”
Led by Matt Barnes, Ohio State’s recruitment of Mirco is based somewhat on Chapman’s recommendation but also the new punter’s potential.
Top 10
- 1New
Chris Beard
Report: Initiated Texas A&M contact
- 2
Michigan State
Under NCAA investigation
- 3
USC running back
Entering transfer portal
- 4
Texas, Ole Miss
Finalists for prized transfer
- 5Hot
2-round mock draft
5 QBs come off the board
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
“He’s really talented and he has another eight months of training ahead of him,” Chapman said. “So we know from experience what we can do in that time frame. Matt Barnes is pretty switched on, it’s a credit to him to know that to get the best talent we have he needs to jump in earlier than normal.”
How is Mirco approaching his future? What’s his understanding of American-rules football and the scope of the Ohio State brand? Will he fit in with the big personalities of the Buckeyes specialists?
Mirco talked about those things and more in the latest edition of Birminology on Lettermen Row.
