In the days of recruiting rankings, high school showcases on major sports networks, and in-depth coverage of preseason college camp, it’s rare for a freshman to catch the college football world by surprise, especially on a team like the Ohio State Buckeyes.
But every once in a while, a player comes out of nowhere to take the internet by storm.
Nick McLarty is 6’7″. He’s 255 pounds. And apparently, he has a bionic leg.
Who is the freaky freshman punter in line to start for Ohio State?
Australian Punter Nick McLarty Set To Start for Ohio State
It’s understandable how McLarty slipped through the cracks. For one, he’s from Melbourne, Australia, and graduated in 2022.
But he’s in Ohio State’s 2024 recruiting class and will be a freshman this season. After enrolling in June, he went through team practices and impressed the coaching staff. On Thursday, head coach Ryan Day announced McLarty as Ohio State’s starting punter.
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Like many Aussie punters, McLarty played Australian rules football before turning to punting. He’s hardly the first to follow that career path, and he’ll be the fourth Australian to punt for Ohio State since 2013.
But none of that makes McLarty special.
No, the intriguing part of this arrangement is his super-powered leg. McLarty went viral last year in a video that has since recirculated in the wake of the Day’s announcement.
McLarty isn’t special because he’s a 20-year-old freshman. He’s special because he can do this:
Australian freshman Nick McLarty is Ohio State’s new starting punter
He can punt 90+ yards 😳 pic.twitter.com/HLY7OPJ5Uc
— Jon “JR” Rhoades (@jrs_rankings) August 23, 2024
Ohio State should be one of the best teams in the country and a potential national title favorite. The Buckeyes have plenty of talented freshmen, and in terms of overall impact, it’s doubtful that McLarty is the most important player in their fourth-ranked 2024 recruiting class.
Still, I can’t recall a time college football fans have been this excited about a punter.
In all likelihood, McLarty won’t have a lot of work this year as the Buckeye offense shouldn’t need to punt often this season, especially when opening with Akron.
But if the Buckeyes face a punting situation, expect the college football world to be quite interested in what happens next.
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