Jesse Mirco named to Ray Guy Award preseason watch list
COLUMBUS — Ohio State punter Jesse Mirco was named to the Ray Guy Award preseason watch list Wednesday.
The Ray Guy Award is given annually to the nation’s best punter. Mirco is entering his third year as the Buckeyes’ starting punter. He’s handled Ohio State’s punting and holding since he came over to Columbus from Fremantle, Australia, in 2021.
At the moment, Mirco ranks fourth in program history with a career punt average of 44.2 yards per boot. Of his 80 punts in a Buckeyes uniform, 37 have landed inside the 20-yard line. He’s posted 18 punts of 50 or more yards and just seven touchbacks.
Last year, his 45.4 yards per punt were good for third in the Big Ten and 12th nationally. It was also the sixth-best single-season punting average in the Ohio State record book.
Maybe his notable appearance last season came at a Northwestern, where he faced winds north of 40 miles per hour. In a low-scoring, cross-divisional matchup, Mirco punted a career-high seven times and averaged 50.3 yards per punt. That went down as the sixth-highest single-game punting average by any Buckeyes player with at least five punts in a contest.
Mirco punted only 31 times as a true freshman and averaged 42.3 yards per punt that season.
He’s a product of ProKick Australia. It’s the same program that helped develop former Ohio State punter and Ray Guy Award finalist Cameron Johnston, who has been in the NFL since going undrafted in 2017.
Mirco was the fourth-rated punter in the 2021 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
He’ll be working with a new long snapper and holding for a new place kicker this season. Veteran long snapper Bradley Robinson has finally graduated from the program, and Mason Arnold — Robinson’s midseason replacement in 2022 — transferred to Michigan State. The Buckeyes welcomed Arizona State long snapper John Ferlmann to the fold this winter.
As for place kicker, Ohio State appears to be in the middle of a two-way competition between Parker Lewis and Jayden Fielding. Lewis made his lone field goal attempt in this year’s spring game, while Fielding missed his try. Regardless of who wins the kicking battle, Mirco will likely be holding for them.
But his main responsibility is punting when the Ohio State offense can’t move the chains.
Mirco doesn’t get trotted out often. But, when he has been called upon the last two years, he’s delivered.
