Why Australian punter Nick McLarty is a 'difference maker' for Ohio State 2024 class

Former NFL punter Darren Bennett said he knows Nick McLarty is not a normal punting prospect. It’s something he’s watched McLarty, a 6-foot-7, 255-pound punter out of Melbourne, Australia, learn to embrace.

“Everyone walks up and goes ‘What position do you play?’ ” Bennett told The Dispatch. “And he sort of plays ‘Guess the position.’ A lot of it is tackle or tight end. But no one ever says punter.”

For his size, McLarty said he could have played on the offensive or defensive line. But having grown up kicking a football since age 3 while embracing the rules of Australian football, McLarty said there was no other path in American football than punting.

“I think my upside as a punter was way bigger than any other position,” McLarty said. “There’s obviously been a lot of comments recently… like why am I not playing another position? And, honestly, I just don’t think my upside with any other position would be as adequate as my upside with punting.”

Ohio State bought into McLarty’s potential by offering him the chance to be the only scholarship punter on the Buckeyes’ 2024 roster. McLarty, who will enroll at Ohio State this summer, joins a room that includes Joe McGuire — Jesse Mirco’s backup in 2023 — and Hadi Jawad, who transferred from Wayne State in January.

McLarty said he realizes the competition in front of him ahead of this fall. But he also said he knows what he brings to the table having trained exclusively as a punter for the past 14 months in Melbourne for an opportunity like this one.

'It sounds like an NFL ball'

McLarty’s path to Ohio State started with him simply needing a break from Australian football.

In Australian football, points are scored by kicking an oval ball through different goal posts, each representing a different point total. But McLarty was looking for something different along with a chance to travel to the United States and get a college degree.

“I just sort of got over the whole AFL thing,” McLarty said. “I think something new and refreshing, but also which relied on my AFL background was really appealing to me.”

McLarty connected with Bennett, a former first-team All-Pro punter for the San Diego Chargers, and Sav Rocca: a former AFL player and NFL punter, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. Both Bennett and Rocca are at least 6-foot-5.

And while McLarty didn't watch his first NFL game since the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super LVII, Bennett realized McLarty's potential from his first training sessions.

“Right from the very first time he punted, I spoke to Sav, and Sav said, ‘You know, it sounds like an NFL ball coming off someone’s foot,’” Bennett said.

Instead of enrolling with a college program immediately after high school, McLarty remained in Melbourne and dedicated his life to punting. Bennett said McLarty learned how to use his “long levers” from his 6-foot-7 frame to maximize distance and power.

These training sessions, McLarty said, are what got Ohio State’s attention in the first place. He said one of the first videos the program saw of him was his 90-plus yard punt over a stadium, which helped begin his relationship with quality control kicking coach Rob Keys.

Those training sessions, Bennett said, are what separates McLarty from other punting prospects as a player who has basically been a full-time punter for a year, and embraced it.

“That’s what I was saying to coach Keys over at Ohio State,” Bennett said. “You’re basically getting a professional guy right now because for 14 or 15 months, he’s made this his job and he’s done a tremendous job at it.”

Nick McLarty a 'leap of faith' for Ohio State

Ohio State saw that potential in McLarty. But McLarty also saw that potential from Ohio State.

And for McLarty, that started at the top in head coach Ryan Day.

“He had a major emphasis on specialists — especially punters — and their role on the team, saying that a lot of schools overlook punters and specialists in their role, but know they can win and lose games, especially at the highest level where margins are so slim,” McLarty said. “Coach Day has a quote saying ‘Don’t leave any stone unturned.’ And I think that meant a lot to me because it meant that he was willing to believe in me and willing to trust that a punter could be a difference maker for such an incredible team.”

McLarty said he also bought into Ohio State’s success with past Australian punters such as Mirco, who transferred to Vanderbilt after the 2023 season, and Cameron Johnston: the former Eddleman-Fields Big Ten Punter of the Year, who has been the starting punter for the Houston Texans since 2021.

But even though Ohio State may understand the skill set a player like McLarty provides, Bennett also understands the risk involved for Ohio State.

“I think it’s a leap of faith for Ohio State, as it is with every Australian that comes over that’s never really played the game in America,” Bennett said. “We bring unique skills to the game. But there’s always that leap of faith.”

But McLarty knows the risk. He said he realizes the chance Ohio State is taking by offering him a roster spot and a scholarship.

McLarty said his goal is clear. He wants to be the best punter at Ohio State. But McLarty also said he knows that top spot on the depth chart is something he will have to work toward.

“There’s a lot of competition that’s going to happen,” McLarty said. “No matter if you’re on scholarship, if you’re a walk-on or a PWO, it still doesn’t matter if you’re the best player there or the worst player there. It’s all dependent upon how well you kick on game day.”

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Nick McLarty, Australian punter, is 'difference maker' for Ohio State