Connor Hawkins is the newest Ohio State Buckeye kicker entering the 2026 season. He is replacing the senior kicker Jayden Fielding, who at Ohio State could not kick in the big moments. Hawkins is a transfer from Baylor, where he was 37-37 on XPs and 18-22 on FGs
Connor Hawkins' long at Baylor was 54 yards. Just a sophomore, he went 3-4 last season on kick 50+. He can be what Buckeyes fans are looking for in a kicker, someone who can make the kicks in big moments. Hawkins had 2 walk-off game-winning FGs in 2025, with many more big kicks to come
Hawkins was a first-team All-State selection from Liberty Hill High School in Texas. Hawkins also has a soccer background, which further indicates his ability to have success for the Buckeyes
Hawkins entered the transfer portal and committed to the Buckeyes. He is expected to compete for the starting job in Columbus for the 2026 season, bringing three years of remaining eligibility. His competition will be Cooper Peterson, the only other kicker on the roster, who is an incoming freshman
In 3 Cotton Bowl Games, Jayden Fielding missed 67% of his field goals
— Official Ohio State DG (@DylanEveryday) January 1, 2026
In 5 games played in Domes, he only made 57% of his Field Goals
WTF is wrong with Ryan Day to allow this charade to go on for 43 games pic.twitter.com/1M0DWKoiIO
Ohio State fans have been outraged at the kicking situation for a long time, but funny enough, Jayden Fielding had himself a very solid Pro Day, making kicks over 57 yards. It will be interesting to see if he gets drafted and sticks with a team in the NFL
Hawkins should be able to fix Ohio State's kicking woes. It has been quite a while since fans could feel great about the situation at the kicking position. The hope is that Hakwins can be that stable force that the Buckeyes have been missing from their special teams.
It would be shocking if Hawkins wasn't able to win the starting kicking job. He has shown himself to be very accurate, and he has a decent leg.