Ohio State was pretty much stacked at every position except one: kicker. The head coach didn’t even bother adding a kicker in the last portal cycle. Unfortunately, that decision came back to bite them against the Miami Hurricanes in the playoff quarterfinals. Ryan Day isn’t making the same mistake twice, however.

The Buckeyes’ head honcho went out and landed arguably one of the best kickers available out of Baylor. On January 14, Eleven Warriors hopped onto X and revealed the best news Buckeye fans could hear today.

“Former Baylor kicker Connor Hawkins commits to Ohio State.”

The redshirt freshman is expected to step in and start right away. This has to be their biggest portal dub so far from a technical perspective. Hawkins had one heck of a season with Dave Aranda’s Baylor football team. Hawkins was a model of consistency for Baylor, converting on an impressive 81.8% of his field goals (18-for-22) and proving perfect on extra points.

On top of that, he was also perfect on all of his extra-point attempts.

What’s even better is his big-leg power; he nailed 3 kicks out of 4 from over 50 yards away, with his longest being an impressive 54-yarder—something the Buckeyes didn’t see from three years of Jayden Fielding.

The need for a reliable kicker became painfully apparent in Ohio State’s final two games of the season. In the crucial Big Ten Championship game loss to Indiana, the outgoing kicker, Jayden Fielding, missed a relatively short 27-yard field goal late in the game that could have tied things up.

He then doubled down and missed a 49-yard attempt in the Cotton Bowl against Miami, which basically kept the Buckeyes out of contention.

With Jayden Fielding’s college career over and even the backup kicker, Jackson Courville, entering the transfer portal, Ryan Day and his staff had to act fast.

To be fair, the Buckeyes explored multiple options. Ryan Day extended a scholarship to Jacobo Echeverria. He also kept tabs on portal favorite David Olano before Mike Elko and the Aggies snagged him. Ultimately, Ohio State felt Hawkins was the best fit, especially considering he made three kicks from 50-plus yards this season.

The positive news is that Hawkins has three years of eligibility left. It’s safe to say he’s not just a one-year fix but a potential long-term solution. Plus, the new kicker will deliver when the pressure is on in the 2026 season.

Nonetheless, even with the kicking situation squared away, Ryan Day still has some work to do ahead of the 2026 season.

Ryan Day’s bucket list keeps increasing

The most significant problem area at the moment is the cornerback position. The secondary got hit hard this time. Ryan Day lost four of their top six defensive backs to the portal or running out of eligibility. Talented guys like Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Devin Sanchez are coming back, but there’s basically no experienced help behind them.

The Buckeyes desperately need at least one or two veteran cornerbacks from the portal to ensure their pass defense isn’t a liability. Plus, they need more bodies and experience at defensive end. With Caden Curry gone and the draft decision of Kenyatta Jackson Jr. still up in the air, the pass rush might cry for help.

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Finally, the wide receiver room appears a little thin after some players departed via the transfer portal. With Carnell Tate heading to the draft, outside of Jeremiah Smith, the wide receiver room lacks another proven, consistent threat.

They need replacements for guys like Bryson Rodgers. The offensive line and running back rooms also need more experienced depth to ensure the Buckeyes have a complete and championship-ready roster.