Buckeyes punter Nick McLarty sheds black stripe

COLUMBUS — Ohio State is in the middle of a heated position battle that will determine the ceiling of a major side of the ball.

That’s right: the Buckeyes have two punters battling for the starting gig in their special teams operation. The incumbent, Joe McGuire, is last year’s starter from the national title team. Now he’s being pushed by second-year punter Nick McLarty.

McLarty shed his black stripe after practice Thursday, putting him even further into the competition with McGuire for the starting gig. McLarty enrolled at Ohio State last year as a freshman from Australia. McGuire is also from Australia.

Lettermen Row has been keeping a close eye on the battle for the last few weeks. Here’s what we said about it last week:

Before Ohio State even started practice Thursday, sources told Lettermen Row that the battle for the starting punter job was growing closer and closer. It’s clear why some in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center believe this battle could go all the way to the final days of training camp.

Incumbent Joe McGuire was good, not great, for the Buckeyes last year, and he has improved from his 2024 campaign. Second-year punter Nick McLarty, meanwhile, is beginning to surge in the battle, pushing McGuire and working to unseat him. McLarty has always had the stronger leg, but he’s still learning to consistently kick at a high level in college football after arriving as a scholarship punter from Australia last summer.

Ohio State didn’t upgrade at the punter position in the transfer portal because it believed it could further develop McGuire and help McLarty progress. Through the first week of camp practices, it’s clear that they’ve both improved. Now the battle will continue into the second week of August and beyond.

– Lettermen Row, Aug. 7, 2025

McLarty is taking proper steps toward his challenge for the starting punting battle at Ohio State. He shed his black stripe on Thursday in the process.