Ohio State Buckeyes Add Another Kicker Ahead of 2026 Spring Window

The Ohio State Buckeyes have had a very, very active offseason.

Along with losing several players to the transfer portal and the upcoming NFL Draft, Ohio State has also added key pieces to help reload the roster ahead of 2026. The Buckeyes have assembled a group heading into the 2026 season that blends a mix of raw, unpolished talent and experienced veterans who are looking to finish off their careers strong.

Still, one position group has been a clear area of need: special teams.

On Wednesday, Feb. 11, it was announced that the Buckeyes signed yet another kicker, adding former Notre Dame walk-on Marcello Diomede. This brings the team's total up to three kickers, with Connor Hawkins and Cooper Peterson as the other two on the roster.

Diomede will give the team another spark at the position. The redshirt junior played primarily as a kickoff specialist for Notre Dame, booting 16 kickoffs for 1,033 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged 64.6 yards per kickoff.

He also tacked on two PATs for the Fighting Irish.

Ohio State adds another transfer, getting a commitment from former Notre Dame kicker Marcello Diomede.https://t.co/uYf6uAZD8v pic.twitter.com/x8bIzwuxhd
— Patrick Murphy (@_Pat_Murphy) February 11, 2026

The Rest of the Bunch

While Hawkins and Diomede are most likely to serve a purpose on the gridiron for the program next year, Peterson will likely sit and learn from both.

As a member of the Class of 2026, he'll join the program and snag a redshirt next year. During his time in high school, he went 8-of-9 on field goals and booted a long of 49 yards, a good sign for his power at such an early stage of his career.

He also played on kickoffs, putting up 57 touchdowns on 68 kickoffs.

Alongside Peterson, earlier this offseason, the Buckeyes were able to get Hawkins, the transfer from Baylor, to come to the Buckeye state. He's been great throughout his college career, knocking through 37-of-37 PATs and 18-of-22 field goals. He also tacked on 3-of-4 from beyond 50 yards, which is exactly what the Buckeyes are looking for: distance.

Over the last five years, the Buckeyes have been unable to find a kicker with enough power to knock through a ball from over 50 yards out.

BREAKING: Baylor transfer kicker Connor Hawkins has Committed to Ohio State, he tells @On3

Was a perfect 37-37 on XPs and 18 of 22 on FGs with a long of 54 yards in 2025

He was 3 of 4 from 50+ yards on FGshttps://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/xqFMyQEfJl
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 15, 2026

As the special teams room looks for more reliability moving forward, the multitude of legs the program has brought in has certainly set the stage for a bounce-back campaign in 2026.

Now, the hope is that at least one of them can lead this team down the stretch of games and help push the team over the edge if need be. All signs are pointing towards Hawkins being the starter, simply due to how consistent he was last year, but Diomede could end up snagging kickoff duties if he impresses in that area.

The first chance to see some of the new Buckeye kickers in game action will be on Saturday, April 18, at The Shoe in Columbus. This will serve as the annual Scarlet and Gray scrimmage.