With the 2020 Ohio football season in the books, it’s time for the Buckeyes to be eligible to make their decisions about their future. Will they declare for the NFL draft in 2021 or return to the Scarlet and Gray for another year of college football? And this year is even more unique, with each player eligible for an additional year by the NCAA.
On Friday night, punter Drue Chrisman becomes the second Buckeye player to announce he’s on his way to the NFL. Chrisman posted a message on his social media accounts with the decision. Ohio State Cornerback Shaun Wade announced his decision to go to the NFL earlier in the day. The message is transcribed below.
First of all, I want to thank family and friends for their endless support during all the years of athletics that have led to this. I also want to thank the coaches and support staff at Ohio State for developing me into the man I am today. The last five years I have played for the Buckeyes have given me friends and memories that will last a lifetime. The brotherhood is real and I loved every second of it. After careful consideration and talking to coaches and family members I decided to announce the NFL Draft in 2021 to continue my football journey. Thank you Buckeye Nation and as always … Go Bucks!
Chrisman was a three-star recruiter and the no. 1 player in the 2016 recruiting class. He pulled his first year in the state of Ohio on a dress, but starting in 2017, Chrisman takes the starting batsman for the Buckeyes. In his final year with the Scarlet and Gray, Chrisman has beaten 27 times with an average point of 45 yards. Chrisman missed the Big Ten Championship match due to COVID-19 protocols.
Here’s information about Chrisman from his bio on OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
Started his senior season as one of the best players in the Big Ten and nationally
• His career average of 43.9 yards per point is fifth in Ohio State history
• Placed 72 points within the 20-yard line, the third most in program history
• His 44.3 yards per point helped the Buckeyes reach No. 3 in the Big Ten in the net mark for 2019
• Encouraged a season-long 61-yard pint against Michigan
• Three of his five points ended up within the 20-yard line against Northwest
• His quarterback days in high school are revived by a 21-pass at a false point in the second quarter of the Big Ten Championship Game vs. To complete Wisconsin
• Ohio State ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in Net Score in 2018 with an average of 41.6 meters, a figure that was the sixth best nationwide
• Ray Guy’s national points player of the week after averaging 47.9 yards from nine points in the backcourt victory, in an exhausting state in Penn State
• Was even better in the win at Michigan State by dropping all five of his second halves in the Spartan 6 yard and leading directly to nine points in Ohio State, in the fist fight in the frost that was won by a foot , 26 -6
• Achieved 29 points within the 20 during the 2018 season, the second best in the history of the school
• 15 of his 27 points last season were completed within ten
• In 2017, as a rookie with a red shirt, he was a semi-finalist of the Ray Guy Award and the third team of the Big Ten player, after scoring an average score of 44.2 meters per point has to achieve second place in the Big Ten Conference and 14th nationally
• Dropped 25 points within the 20, 15 over 50 meters
• His net average of 41.1 helped the Buckeyes to lead the Big Ten and rank ninth in the national rankings
• Did not have a game where he averaged less than 45 yards per point during the last five games of the season (all wins), and it was a personal best day of 48.5 yards against Michigan StateHonors and awards
2020: Second Team Pre-Season All-American by Chris Sailer Kicking
2019: Honorable mention All-Big Ten (coaches and media)
Academic All-Big Ten and OSU Scholar Athlete
2018: Third-team All-Big Ten (coaches and media)
Ray Guy Semifinals
Academic All-Big Ten and OSU Scholar Athlete
2017: Ray Guy Semifinals
Academic All-Big Ten and OSU Scholar AthleteTo turn the field … and bottles
• Last year, Chrisman became a world-renowned bottle fan. And he still is, adding difficulty and moving targets to his repertoireA spring game surprise
• Chrisman introduces his now fiancée – Avery Eliason, from Lawrenceburg, India – during the break of the 2019 Spring Match at Ohio Stadium
• He sets it up by acting as a scorer in a field goal kick match, while Avery makes a turn. However, she was stopped, and still on one knee, Chrisman suggested. And Avery said ‘yes’.More about Grapes
• Chrisman was considered the leading scorer prospect in the 2016 recruiting class with 247Sports ranking him as no. 1, the prestigious Kohl’s kicking and scoring organization that calls him no. 1 (out of 81 players) and Scout who named him no.
• Average 46.4 and 43.0 meters per point during the respective seasons 2015 and 2014 for LaSalle
• The Lancers, coached by Jim Hilvert, won Division II Rugby Championship that season in Ohio
• Named the first team Division II all-state by the Associated Press as senior after winning the second state-honored team in 2014
• All-Greater Catholic League of the first team
• Name the United States by Ohio Today
• A U.S. Army All-American
• Was 38-of-40 on extra points as a senior and kicked a game-winning, 41-yard field goal with 10 seconds to play to help LaSalle defeat Colerain, 39-36, in an important game
• Is the son of Sheila and Travis Chrisman
On top of that, Chrisman is also one of the best bottle cutters in the country. The NFL team that chooses him gets an athlete with a multi-sport.