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The Ohio State Buckeyes named true freshman Nick McLarty their starting punter on Thursday evening.
That alone is not news. At least, not until you learn a little bit about Nick McLarty.
McLarty isn’t just any old punter. He is a 6-foot-7, 255-pound behemoth of a freshman from Melbourne, Australia who is capable of punting a football over 90 yards.
Like most Aussie punters and kickers, McLarty began his athletic career playing Australian Rules Football before making the switch to American football.
“Right now, Nick will be the starter,” Day said in a brief press conference. “That competition could go into next week, but as we head into the weekend, he is the starter, and the plan is for him to be the first punter to go out in the game against Akron.”
McLarty, while possessing an immensely powerful leg, is still learning the finer points of punting.
“He’s made a good transition into the country but also playing football, not Australian rules football, which is very, very different,” Day said. “The snap-to-kick has improved. He’s a taller guy, so the ball has to get off his foot faster. I think he’s done that. His hang time is good. He’s been more consistent.
“He’ll kick a few that go out of the stadium. He’s got a strong leg. But we’re looking for that consistency. He’s shown that here most recently, so he’s got the upper hand right now.”
McLarty may well be a giant, but there’s every chance he’s not even the biggest starting punter in the Big Ten this season.
That honor may belong to Penn State’s Gabe Nwosu. Nwosu checks in at 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds and was recently named one of college football’s top athletic freaks by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.
“He is definitely not your average kicker or punter,” Feldman said of Nwosu. “The sophomore from Maryland is 6-6 and 280 pounds. He benched 365 pounds, squatted 525 and cleaned 330. Even more impressively, he clocked a 4.86 40 at that size, broad-jumped 9-9 and vertical-jumped 31.5-inches. As PSU’s kickoff specialist in 2023, Nwosu finished third in the Big Ten in touchbacks with 50, and was fourth in kickoff average at 63.7 yards.”
Both McLarty and Nwosu have struggled with consistency in the punting game, in part due to their immense statures. But if it doesn’t work out, they may well find a home on the defensive line instead.