Top Three Undrafted Ohio State Buckeyes in the NFL Right Now

With the NFL Combine kicking off this week, everyone’s focus is zeroing in on April’s draft, and where the top prospects could land at the next level.

However, not all of the NFL’s greats had a career that started out as a draft pick, and former Ohio State Buckeyes like Bill Willis and Lou Groza managed to make it all the way into the Hall of Fame without being drafted into the league.

Even though it’s now considerably harder to go unnoticed on Draft Day -- with teams’ scouting departments growing in resources every year, and the transfer portal making small school prospects more visible -- there’s still a place in the NFL for undrafted free agents.

Here’s a look at the top three undrafted Ohio State Buckeyes playing in the NFL right now:

Jake McQuaide, long snapper

You don’t get to play 15 years in the league without being good at what you do. In the case of two-time Pro Bowler, McQuaide, his role just happens to be on special teams.

McQuaide walked-on at Ohio State as a tight end, but quickly converted to long snapper, where he became the team’s regular starter by his sophomore season.

He arrived in the NFL in 2011 with the then St. Louis Rams, and is the only current Los Angeles Rams player to have ever played with the franchise during its St. Louis days.

McQuaide also spent some time playing for the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins. He is slated to become a free agent.

He was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 2016 and 2017 seasons, the Rams first two years back in L.A.

Cameron Johnston, punter

Another special teams player makes the list, this time a punter. Australian Johnston played for Ohio State after playing Australian rules football, and was part of the 2014 National Champions Buckeyes.

He got to the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2017, but debuted in the league until 2018. He led the league in punting yards in 2021, while playing for the Houston Texans.

Besides playing for Philadelphia and Houston, Johnston has also punted for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills, and New York Giants, for whom he appeared in one game at the end of last season. Like McQuaide, Johnston is also a free agent.

Ronnie Hickman, safety

Unlike the previous two Buckeyes, Hickman doesn’t play exclusively on special teams, becoming the Cleveland Browns’ starter at free safety during his breakout season of 2025 alongside standout strong safety Grant Delpit. Hickman started all 17 games last season, one year after starting five out of 14 games played in 2024, and four out of 10 appearances as a rookie in 2023.

Hickman recorded personal bests in 2025 in interceptions (two), passes defended (seven), and combined tackles (103), one of only three players surpassing the century mark in this last category last year for the Browns.

This last season, Hickman participated in 99 percent of defensive snaps, and 32 percent of special teams plays. Hickman is currently recovering from an assault in NYC that left him with minor injuries.

A restricted free agent, it’s widely anticipated that Cleveland will retain him as a core piece to their secondary unit under new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg.