Scarlet Sunrise: Buckeyes targeting end-of-week decision for 'back-and-forth' kicking competition

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Buckeyes targeting end-of-week decision for ‘back-and-forth’ kicking competition

2022, both the year and the Ohio State season, ended with a missed kick off the boot of the normally reliable Noah Ruggles.

It was a cruel ending to Ruggles’ otherwise spectacular Buckeyes career, during which he recorded the highest field goal percentage in school history. A transfer from North Carolina, Ruggles made 37-of-41 field goals, or 90.2%, at Ohio State, including a 19-yard, game-winning Rose Bowl kick to cap the 2021 season.

Now, the Buckeyes have to replace to him. That’s up to Jayden Fielding or former USC transfer Parker Lewis.

It’s a competition that’s going “back and forth,” according to head coach Ryan Day.

“I think we probably will have a good idea of where we’re at by the end of the week,” Day said Monday. “We’ll give them one more opportunity. But we’re charting all the kicks. And the good news is we have two capable kickers there.

“But we probably need to decide who that’s going to be here by the end of the week.”

Fielding, an IMG Academy product, was part of the Ohio State 2022 recruiting class. He handled kickoffs in all 13 games for the Buckeyes last year. Lewis, meanwhile, has starting place kicker experience at the collegiate level. In two years at USC, Lewis converted 26-of-35 field goal attempts. His career long is 52 yards.

Lewis drilled a 38-yard field goal in this year’s spring game, while Fielding missed his lone try, which was from 40 yards out.

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• Updates on biggest remaining Buckeyes position battles

‘Gold’ tight ends give Ohio State, Keenan Bailey plenty of depth

First-year Ohio State tight ends coach Keenan Bailey wants to spell Cade Stover when he needs a breather. Bailey doesn’t want Stover averaging 58 offensive snaps per game like he did last year.

Bailey believes his room has the depth to accomplish that goal.

“I do,” Bailey told the media Wednesday after practice, the 12th of training camp. “We do the summer workouts and Coach Mick (strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti) ranks guys as far as gold, and gold is the top tier. Those are guys that if we want to hit all our goals, we need those guys to rely on. I had four in my room.

“So we’ve got guys I think I could rely on in all capacities.”

Bailey wouldn’t reveal who those four players are, but behind the veteran Stover are fourth-year tight ends Gee Scott Jr. and Joe Royer, a pair of former high school wideouts who are hoping to put it all together in 2023. Then there’s true freshman Jelani Thurman, a can’t-miss target on the field who might have a ways to go at a developmental position but offers intrigue nonetheless.

To read more about the Buckeyes’ tight end room, go here. Plus, below is the latest Lettermen Row Preseason Report with tight end takeaways.

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• Striving to ‘get uncomfortable’ this offseason, Cade Stover now a better route runner

Buckeyes cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. sheds black stripe

Another day, another set of two Ohio State players who lost their black stripe and officially became Buckeyes: walk-on wide receiver David Adolph and cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr.

Styles is the headliner of the pairing. He’s the older brother of highly-touted safety Sonny Styles and the son of former Buckeyes linebacker Lorenzo Styles Sr.

This spring, Lorenzo Jr. transferred from Notre Dame, where he had already started his transition from wide receiver to cornerback. He’s continued that adjustment in Columbus, in addition to making an instant impact on special teams.

For more on Lorenzo Jr.’s black stripe removal, go here.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 16 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 101 days

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