Luke Farrell Reflects on His Love of Football as He Prepares for Final Run
Luke Farrell is one of Ohio State's most experienced players, at one of the Buckeyes' deepest positions. The fifth year senior tight end from Perry, Ohio is one of several returning players at tight end that are primed for a big season. In fact, Farrell was named to the Mackey Award Watch List earlier this summer.
Considering that Farrell has been riding the emotional rollercoaster this offseason, wondering if he'd ever be able to suit up for Ohio State again, he's just grateful to have a season at all.
"It was frustrating for a lot of it (the last few months) and the ups and downs were really hard at times," Farrell said. "We just leaned on our guys and obviously got a good outcome out of it.”
Luke Farrell running after a catch against Michigan State.
Farrell isn't sure if this will be his final season of football or if the NFL will come knocking next year, but he's certainly not going to take for granted the opportunity to play with his teammates and make a run at a national title. He admitted it will be strange playing in empty stadiums this year, but he said they'll create their own excitement.
“We're going to have to bring our energy," he said. "The fans bring so much when you’re at home. We are gonna have to create that on the sideline a little bit.”
As much as he is looking forward to this season, Farrell also reflected on how he got here.
“I pretty much fell in love with football right when I started playing as a little kid," he said Friday. "I had an older brother (Nolan) that played. I played fullback and defensive end when I was young. On defense they told me to just go to the ball. That’s all I wanted to do. I think when I realized I could be really good was not really until I got a phone call from Coach Meyer in high school. I thought this is real, I can actually do something with this.”
As a prep player at Perry, Farrell was a High School All-American and was ranked by several scouting services as a four-star prospect, including recognition as the No. 6 ranked tight end in the nation.
After taking a redshirt as a freshman in 2016, Farrell steadily became more integral in the offense. Considering the skill position players around him over the last four years, Farrell hasn't necessarily received a ton of attention. But he's as solid a tight end as you'll find in the country and is a major asset to the Buckeyes in his 35 career games.
When asked about what he's working on individually right now, Farrell said, “I'm focused on getting a good release off the line, bursting in and out of cuts, dropping my hips and everything, the suddenness, and the burst. In the run game trying to keep my hips down and dominating blocks.”
He also happens to be one of Ohio State's brightest stars in the classroom. A 3-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete, 3-time Academic All-Big Ten Conference selection and a 2020 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Farrell has a legitimate case to be considered as an Academic All-American in 2020. He is majoring in human development and family science.
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