COLUMBUS, Ohio – The first chapter in the story of the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes began on Thursday morning in front of a crowd of approximately 500 fans as the Buckeyes were on the practice field for the first day of fall camp. Thursday’s practice – which took place at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center – was the first of four this weekend that are open to the public. Practices on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are also open and tickets – which cost $50 per person.
Camp started with 121 Buckeyes on the active roster, including 38 letterwinners. Ohio State’s team is a veteran and experienced one, highlighted by a group of fourth and fifth-year players who put off entering the NFL Draft and instead elected to return to Ohio State for their senior seasons. They are: DE Jack Sawyer, DE JT Tuimoloau, CB Denzel Burke, CB Jordan Hancock, SAF Lathan Ransom, OL Donovan Jackson, WR Emeka Egbuka, DT Tyleik Williams, LB Cody Simon, DT Ty Hamilton and RB TreVeyon Henderson.
Ohio State’s team is comprised on offense of seven quarterbacks, six running backs, eight tight ends, 15 wide receivers and 19 offensive linemen. On defense, Ohio State has 13 cornerbacks, 12 linebackers, nine safeties and 21 defensive linemen. There are 11 special teamers on the roster.
There are 42 players who will be playing their first fall season in Columbus, including 22 scholarship freshmen from the 2024 recruiting class and nine Division I transfers via the portal: QB Will Howard (Kansas State), SAF Caleb Downs (Alabama), RB Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss), OC Seth McLaughlin (Alabama), TE Will Kacmarek (Ohio), QB Julian Sayin (Alabama), SAF Keenan Nelson Jr. (South Carolina), WR Shawn Lodge (Presbyterian) and P Anthony Venneri (Buffalo).
More Notes on Fall Camp
Thursday was the first of 25 practices before the first game of the season: Aug. 31 vs. Akron University.
WBNS 97.1 FM The Fan will be broadcasting at the open practices with Brandon Beam, Bobby Carpenter (6 a.m.-9 a.m.) and Beau Bishop (9 a.m.-noon) on site.
The admission price to this year’s open practices includes a pair of commemorative 2024 Ohio State training camp sunglasses (available upon check-in) and access to the family-friendly Fanfest.
Head coach Ryan Day met with the media for 30 minutes after the practice.
New Coaches Join The Staff
Day hired three new full-time assistant coaches during the offseason: offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Chip Kelly, who has spent the last six seasons as the head coach at UCLA, linebackers coach James Laurinaitis, who was a graduate assistant with the Buckeyes in 2023, and Carlos Locklyn, who was hired in March from the University of Oregon to coach running backs.
Other new coaches on Ohio State’s staff in 2024 include:
Tim Drevno, quality control (offense). He spent the last two seasons as of the offensive line coach at UCLA.
Michael Hunter Jr., graduate assistant (defense). Hunter Jr. comes to Ohio State after serving last season as the defensive pass game coordinator at Tulsa.
Billy Fessler, quality control (offense). Fessler, in his second stint on Ohio State’s staff, was hired earlier in 2024 as UCLA’s quarterbacks coach after serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Akron in 2023. He was a graduate assistant with the Buckeyes in 2020 and 2021.
Tony Johnson, senior advisor/analyst. Johnson played wide receiver at Penn State from 2000-2003, catching 107 passes for 1,702 yards and 11 touchdowns.
