The Buckeyes’ increased focused on special teams has led to improved results.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the Buckeyes we expect to excel this season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Players to Watch” articles here.
Yes, we are talking about a kicker today. I know what you may be thinking, but Jackson Courville is absolutely worth talking about as a player to watch coming into this season.
Ohio State fans remember the two missed field goals against The Team Up North in 2024. Jayden Fielding missed one from 38 yards in the middle of the second quarter, and then one from 34 yards in the third quarter following a Buckeyes interception that put the ball on the Wolverines’ 16-yard line.
Those were two very makeable field goals, and they were missed. Fielding also missed his only field goal attempt in the College Football Playoff in the game against Tennessee before going 2-for-2 against both Oregon and Notre Dame.
With a team as talented as the Buckeyes are going into 2025, missing kicks at critical times in critical games can be a huge Achilles heel — especially when the margins are thin.
Courville, though, can fix that if he ultimately wins out in the kicking competition. In two seasons at Ball State, the former All-Ohio selection from Centerville High School went 26-of-34 on field goals and 54-of-56 on extra points.
A 2024 MAC All-Academic selection, Courville won the Ball State starting kicker job as a true freshman in 2023. His longest field goal in 2023 was 48 yards, and his longest in 2024 was from 52 yards. That 52-yard field goal in 2024 was a game-winner against Northern Illinois to cap off a day where Courville went 4-of-5 on field goal attempts.
In addition to his pension for kicking long field goals in the clutch, Courville is also darn near perfect on extra points. He only missed one PAT in each of his two seasons with the Cardinals.
Three of Fielding’s four missed field goals in 2024 came against Michigan and Tennessee — the two biggest home games of the season. Missed field goals in those caliber of home games can cause restlessness amongst fans, especially Buckeyes fans.
This is why Courville is coming to Columbus, both to push Fielding leading up to the season and potentially during the season. Iron sharpens iron, and a little competition could be good for both players.
We often hear that the game of football can come down to the kicker. It did in “The Game” last season. That alone should be enough to make Courville a player to watch throughout fall camp in the lead-up to the season opener against Texas.
That game very well could come down to the kicker.