Ohio State Buckeyes kicker Connor Hawkins has already proven himself during spring practice, earning the "clutch" label from head coach Ryan Day during his first offseason in Columbus, and third overall after two years with the Baylor Bears.
With that said, he hasn't truly shown anything yet in Scarlet and Gray. That has Cleveland.com's Stephen Means not ready to declare Hawkins the next great OSU PK, warning that he could just as easily negatively define a difficult 2026 schedule if he's not up to snuff.
"Ohio State needs its kicker to show up in 2026. Not just when things are routine, but when it’s absolutely imperative that they do because failure can be fatal. There are enough games on the schedule where not having that could ultimately define their season. The last thing anybody needs is to look back on this season and think so much was wasted because the Buckeyes had a kicker who routinely folded under pressure," Means wrote. "That’s why Day using the word 'clutch' to describe Hawkins is so important."
For what it's worth, Buckeyes special teams coordinator Robby Discher doesn't foresee Hawkins, who went 3/4 on 50-plus-yard attempts for the Bears during the 2025 season, shrinking when the big moments come.
"The moment's never too big for Connor," Discher said. "You can tell he's got a good demeanor about it and he's even-keeled, and he's done a good job."
Connor Hawkins and David Olano get early nods of approval
Not only is Hawkins getting early buzz in the PK room, but so is Illinois Fighting Illini transfer David Olano. Discher gave them both their due, saying, "Both of them have a really good mindset ... They're never too high, they're never too low. You miss a kick, you've already forgotten about it by the time you get a next opportunity ... They're both super competitive, which is a big thing as well."
Jayden Fielding had several key misses last year, none more consequential than the game-losing kick to the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship Game. Fielding recently showed at Pro Day just how much potential he didn't live up to, and Jackson Courville hit the portal before giving Ohio State a chance to know what the special teams unit had in him.
Rebounding from that would define Ohio State's offseason as successful, at least at special teams' most crucial position. The early returns on Hawkins and Olano are promising enough for Buckeye fans to have hope special teams will take a step forward with the first ST coordinator at the helm in three seasons.