Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl loss has predictably led to a roster exodus (of a sort). Even though the Buckeyes haven’t yet lost any key players, it still affects depth at critical positions. Then there is the issue of covering existing cracks, especially at the kicker position. It has led Ryan Day to target two important future prospects.

The Buckeyes have offered Illinois kicker David Olano in an effort to address the crisis at this position. The former Illini converted 17 of his 20 field goal attempts this year, with his longest going 50 yards. Olano is a two-time All-Big Ten honoree with a field goal accuracy of 86%. He was also behind the game-winning field goal in the Music City Bowl against Tennessee.

Ryan Day’s biggest problem right now is to replace OSU’s kicking talent with better names. Veteran Jayden Fielding will graduate, and David Olano comes in as an immediate fix. He’s also a veteran kicker with recent successes. He also made a program record by making the most field goals (5) and kicking points (19) in a single game this season. He also comes from the SEC and has performed in those testy moments. After the Cotton Bowl loss, OSU knows very well that poor kicking played a significant role throughout the season.

Fielding couldn’t deliver in the big games, missing two crucial kicks against Indiana and Miami. Those missed kicks ultimately knocked Ohio State out of its fight to defend its National Championship win. Despite spending 4 years with the Buckeyes, Fielding’s field goal accuracy is still 78.9%. That’s not a number that an OSU kicker should be attached to, given how high the stakes were.

OSU has been struggling with these clutch kicking moments under Day. Fielding missed 2 field goals against Michigan in 2024. He was also unsuccessful against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl. It all seems to have begun in the 41-42 loss to Georgia in the Peach Bowl in 2022, after Noah Ruggles missed a 50-yard field goal. Ryan Day now needs to take special teams talent seriously, as this has become a recurring pattern.

That’s why he has also extended an offer to Jacobo Echeverria Lozano out of Pennsylvania, who is one of the top uncommitted kickers in the 2026 cycle. He logged a 94.4% accuracy in field goals this season and landed 46 of 48 extra point attempts. Echeverria has also been doubling as a punter for Upper St. Claire.

To make matters worse, OSU has also lost its other kicker to the transfer portal.

Ohio State is now without any kickers after losing Jackson Courville to the portal

Fielding’s backup, Jackson Courville, will not return for the 2026 season, leaving the kicking room empty at Columbus. The 2025 season was extremely disappointing for him because he was never called upon to attempt a field goal. Courville has two years of eligibility left. It is unclear why he transferred, because he would’ve definitely replaced Fielding next season. Statwise, he’s the better kicker, too. The former Ball State kicker nailed 11 of his 13 field goal attempts in 2024. Two of those went for more than 50 yards.

However, as a Buckeye, Courville was only used for 4 extra-point attempts against Grambling State. Fans criticized Ryan Day for sticking with Jayden Fielding when Courville could have been experimented with. Now, he’s taking his skills elsewhere.

Ohio State has now been left to grapple with straws to fix this glaring problem. Apart from David Olano, the only other kickers in the portal are UCLA’s Mateen Bhaghani and Tennessee’s Max Gilbert. Ryan Day needs to find a good kicker as soon as possible, and relying on a freshman who comes in later in the year would also be a huge gamble. Whoever the next Buckeye kickers are, they’d have to be able to deliver in those key moments where OSU has been struggling.

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