Ohio State punter Anthony Venneri enters transfer portal

COLUMBUS — Ohio State punter Anthony Venneri has entered the transfer portal after one season with the Buckeyes.

He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining.

Venneri came to the program from Buffalo after starting for two seasons with the Bulls. He didn’t win the Buckeyes starting job last offseason, however. He was the third-string punter behind starter Joe McGuire and backup punter Nick McLarty.

Venneri averaged 43.88 yards per punt in 2023 at Buffalo. In the process, he broke his own single-season program record record of 43 yards per punt that he set in 2022.

During the 2023 campaign, Venneri booted 12 punts of 50 or more yards, including two that traveled 60-plus yards. What’s more, the Hamilton, Ontario, native pinned 17 punts inside the 20-yard line. A total of 18 of his punts last season resulted in fair catches.

As a true freshman in 2022, Venneri earned the staring job early in the season and got the nod the final 10 games of the year. In addition to rewriting Buffalo’s yards per punt record the first time, he logged 12 punts of at least 50 yards. That year, he actually had four punts of 60 or more yards, but only 10 of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Still, he earned FWAA Freshman All-America Team honors.

After graduating from St. Tomas More Catholic Secondary School in Canada, Venneri joined Buffalo as a walk-on.

Now he’s leaving Ohio State for the transfer portal following one season with the Buckeyes.