Former Ohio State star sends Ryan Day some important transfer portal advice after Cotton Bowl loss to Miami
The former Buckeyes star wants a major change made in how the team attacks the transfer portal this year.
Fresh off a frustrating Cotton Bowl loss to the Miami Hurricanes, the Ohio State Buckeyes staff has plenty to do this offseason. It was an impressive campaign for much of the regular season for them, but the ultimate goal was not achieved. They fell short, and clear holes on the roster made a massive difference in the end.
The transfer portal will play a key role in creating another dominant roster for the Buckeyes in 2026, but an underrated need is getting pointed out as one that must be addressed in an impactful way by Ohio State’s staff and NIL plan.
Garrett Wilson pushes Ohio State to find top kicker after loss to Miami
Former Buckeyes wide receiver and first-round pick of the New York Jets Garrett Wilson was understandably concerned with the inconsistency on special teams this season. He made that clear on social media, placing some pressure on head coach Ryan Day to go “big fish hunting” at kicker.
“I just woke up , it is 2026. We gotta have the best kicker onna continent in Columbus from here on out,” Wilson posted, via Twitter/X.
Jayden Fielding had another costly miss for the Buckeyes in the loss to the Hurricanes. While his short range success was some safety for the Buckeyes during his time as the starter, the upside was capped with Fielding as the team’s boot.
A to Z Ohio State writer Brandon Little gave me some feedback on how the Buckeyes now have pressure to improve in that aspect and replace Fielding, who is out of eligibility.
“The Buckeyes will have a new kicker in 2026 with Jayden Fielding out of eligibility. It’s a needed departure between both sides to be clear. Fielding has been automatic at extra points in his career, but he’s been an average field goal kicker when looking at his stats overall. Fielding ends his Ohio State career with a long kick of 49 yards, which is the same distance kick he missed in the season-ending loss to Miami. Fielding has had trouble in high-intensity moments in his career. A missed 29-yard kick against Indiana in the Big Ten Championship is another example.
Fielding attempted just three field goals over 50 yards in his career and never made one. In today’s game, we are seeing kickers make 55-yard kicks at the college and pro levels even more. Fielding averages four missed kicks a year and his inability to hit from distance just caps what he can be. For an Ohio State team that is stacked year in and year out, it’s been inexcusable to have an average kicker. Fielding had key misses in the loss to Michigan last year, and now both the Indiana and Miami losses. Bringing in a transfer portal kicker is the route that the Buckeyes should indeed go.” – Little
There’s no doubt that there will be notable kickers in the portal this offseason. Illinois kicker David Olano and Nebraska’s Tristan Alvano are two of the top options expected to enter the portal when it opens on Jan. 2nd. There could be more come to the surface, considering the amount of squads looking for a new, proven boot.