Former Ohio State K Jayden Fielding is looking to make a return to college football with potential new eligibility
The former Ohio State K Jayden Fielding is looking to make a return to play another season of college football after four years at Ohio State.
Former Ohio State Buckeyes kicker Jayden Fielding could be headed back to college football. Fielding, who played four seasons at Ohio State and served as the Buckeyes’ starting kicker for the last three, was out of eligibility following the 2025 season. A court ruling on Friday night, however, has opened the door for a potential return.
Court ruling could grant Fielding a 5th season
According to a On3’s Pete Nakos, Fielding is exploring a return to college football following a ruling by Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the U.S. District Court of Colorado. Sweeney granted a class-wide preliminary injunction on Friday night requiring the NCAA to declare all high school Class of 2022 athletes eligible who had previously exhausted four seasons of eligibility.
With that ruling, a brief transfer portal period could soon open for those Class of 2022 high school athletes who spent four seasons in college. Fielding would fall into that category, giving him a potential fifth year of eligibility.
A Fielding return to Ohio State is not happening
Fielding was money as an extra point kicker at Ohio State, going 73 for 73 in 2024. His field goal accuracy, though, was a different story. Fielding converted 45 of 57 career field goal attempts, a 78.9 percent clip. While that number looks solid on paper, the misses came at the worst times.
Fielding missed a pair of kicks against Michigan in 2024. He missed a field goal that would have tied the game against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship during the 2025 season. He then missed a kick against Miami in the College Football Playoff to end his Ohio State career.
Ohio State went to the transfer portal and landed former Baylor kicker Connor Hawkins, who is expected to be the Buckeyes’ place kicker during the 2026 season. If Fielding does return, that spot likely isn’t going to be at Ohio State unless he’s fine with being a backup kicker.
That isn’t the expectation. Fielding wouldn’t be returning for another season of college football unless he planned to go somewhere and start. Fielding was a pretty consistent kicker from short range until he wasn’t, including the 28-yard missed field goal against Indiana. Still, the former Buckeye could soon be getting a fifth season of eligibility, and it will be worth watching where he lands if the portal window opens for those players.