Ohio State football: OSU gets needed help at quarterback
By Del Barris
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about the Ohio State football program’s need for help at quarterback because of a lack of depth at the position. On Saturday, they got some when Dublin Coffman’s Mason Maggs committed to the program as a preferred walk-on.
For most of the 2021 season, the Buckeyes had an extremely crowded quarterback room with six on the roster. Starting in late November, that number began to drop quickly. The day after the Michigan game, Jack Miller announced his intention to enter the transfer portal.
A few days later, Quinn Ewers said he was doing the same and then it was walk-on Jagger LaRoe, who originally joined the Ohio State football program as a transfer from Texas A&M. Four-star recruit Devin Brown was signed in December as part of the 2022 class, but just after the Rose Bowl, another walk-on, J.P. Andrade, entered the transfer portal as well. All of that left Ryan Day with just three quarterbacks. Maggs coming aboard gives some needed depth to the position.
He is the son of former Ohio State two-time all-Big Ten center Bob Maggs. During his senior season at Dublin Coffman, the 6’3”, 205-pounder threw for nearly 1,900 yards and ran for over 850. He is not ranked by any of the major recruiting services. Mason Maggs may never play a down for the Buckeyes and that’s alright because I love seeing a kid like this get an opportunity to be a part of the Ohio State program. This is what he said in his announcement,
"“It has always been a dream since I was a little kid to say these words. I would like to announce my commitment to The Ohio State University! Go Bucks!”"
This isn’t the kind of recruiting news that will move the needle much in Buckeyes Nation, but do not think for a second Mason Maggs deciding to join the Buckeyes is not important. Walk-ons provide depth and are invaluable to any college football program. Ohio State certainly needs depth at quarterback. With four now on the roster, I’d like to see one more brought in to really bolster this position.
Next. Ohio State loses a heartbreaker to Purdue on buzzer beater. dark
If you don’t think walk-ons are important, the next time you watch a Buckeye game, notice how many players on the sidelines who have never played in a game are walking around sporting buckeye leaves on their helmet. You’ll see plenty. Coaches know just what guys like Mason Maggs bring to their program.