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Ohio State football plans to start Nick McLarty at punter in season opener against Akron
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- Ohio State football plans to start Nick McLarty at punter in season opener against Akron
Ohio State is preparing for Nick McLarty to start at punter in its season opener against Akron on Aug. 31 .
"As we head into the weekend, he is the starter," Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said, "and the plan is for him to be the first punter to go out in the game."
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Since preseason practices began earlier this month, McLarty, a strong-legged freshman from Australia , has been competing with Anthony Venneri, previously the starting punter at Buffalo before transferring to Ohio State this past spring, and Joe McGuire, a returning sophomore.
Aug 1, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes punters Joe McGuire (42) and Nick McLarty (19) take the field during football camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Complex.
Day said McLarty, who did not enroll at the school until June, has made a smooth transition to the United States and the sport at large. McLarty grew up playing Australian rules football.
"His hang time has been good," Day said, "and he's been more consistent. He'll kick a few that'll just go right out of the stadium. He's just got a strong, strong leg. So we're looking for that consistency. He's shown that recently. He's got the upper hand."
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The adjustments for McLarty have also included quickening the pace of punts. His 6-foot-7 size leaves him with a strong right leg, but also requires a faster motion in order to boot the ball.
"The ball has to get off his foot faster," Day said. "I think he's done that."
McLarty would replace Jesse Mirco, who had been the Buckeyes' starting punter since 2021 before transferring to Vanderbilt in January .
Mirco had also been an Australian rules football player who was converted into a punter.
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Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @joeyrkaufman or email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com .
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football: Punter Nick McLarty to start against Akron
