Ohio State football: Mitch Rossi to return for sixth season

First, it was long snapper Bradley Robinson, then it was kicker Noah Ruggles announcing he’d return for a sixth season of college football. The latest Ohio State football player to take advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA after the 2020 season is tight end/fullback hybrid Mitch Rossi.

With Jeremy Ruckert entering the NFL Draft and Cade Stover almost assuredly moving back to defense, the return of Rossi is huge for the Ohio State offense. Over the last few seasons, tight end has been a very crowded and loaded position for the Buckeyes.

Not anymore. Rossi is set to be one of five scholarship tight ends and the only one with any meaningful playing time. Regardless if he is the starter or resumes his role as a situational player, judging by what Rossi’s dad told Eleven Warriors, Ryan Day really wanted him to return,

"“Coach Day was very persuasive and believes Mitch can add a component the team needs on offense, on special teams, and as a leader.”"

A former walk-on from Franklin, Tennessee, Rossi was used mostly as a blocker in the Ohio State offensive scheme. He caught just four passes for 28 yards and a memorable first career touchdown (read my article about that here) in 2021. A 22-yard catch-and-run to help set up a Buckeye touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Rose Bowl shows Rossi knows what to do after a catch.

At 6’1” he’s a bit short for a tight end (most are around the 6’4”-6’5” range) but does seem to have good enough hands and blocking skills to be a starter. The question mark for me is his route running skills. If he is going to be the starter, he will be used in the passing game far more often than he is used to. That means he is going to have to be good and consistent at running routes.

Rossi isn’t coming back for a sixth season because his football career would be over if he does not. His dad said he could get an opportunity at the next level,

"“We’ve been told that there are NFL teams interested in Mitch and another year to showcase himself would benefit him in that pursuit.”"

Could he go from a walk-on who had no scholarship offers to making an NFL roster? The odds are long, but I would not put anything out of Mitch Rossi’s reach. That combination of tight end and fullback skills makes him very marketable.

The Ohio State football team is now waiting on four others to decide if they will take advantage of the extra year available to them. Defensive tackle Jerron Cage, cornerback Sevyn Banks, and linebackers Teradja Mitchell and Palaie Gaoteote have until February 4th to decide.