The state of Ohio received its first big surprise of the 2021 season. Saturday morning offensive lineout Thayer Munford announced on social media he returns for a fifth year with the Buckeyes. Munford are able to do so due to an NCAA rule change stating that the 2020 season is not eligible against any player’s. That means even seniors like Munford can return for a fifth year without taking a red shirt season.
Munford is not the first Scarlet and Gray senior to make use of this change to the normal rules. Senior cornerback Marcus Williamson announced last week when he met with the media ahead of the College Football Playoff national championship game that he would also return to the state of Ohio for a fifth year.
After originally attending Cincinnati LaSalle High School, and help the Lancers win rugby championships in 2014 and 2015, Munford transferred to Washington High school in Massillon, Ohio. The four-star prospect and the country’s 28th best attacking tackle may only play in his last year after the transfer in three games.
Despite interest in the state of Ohio, Munford experienced adversity to even become a Buckeye. After I struggled academically. Munford had to improve his grades to enroll at Ohio State, and the coaches of Scarlet and Gray needed him to lose 50 pounds to be able to play for the Buckeyes.
Listed as the backup for the right approach Isaiah Prince as a first-year in 2018, Munford received 202 plays on the field. The following year, Munford was named as the starter in the left-back attack to start the season and started 13 games before suffering an injury that forced him to put out the Roe Bowl. Munford was part of an offense that which broke numerous Ohio State and Big Ten records, including total yards per game (535.6 / game) and passing touchdown (51) while blocking quarterbacks Dwayne Haskins and backs JK Dobbins and Mike Weber. After the year, Munford was named All-Big Ten by the coaches and media.
After the 2018 season, Munford underwent back surgery that kept him out of account all season. But when the year began, Munford were again the Buckeyes’ starting left tackle in 2019, blocking for Dobbins and quarterback. Justin Fields. The backside kept bothering him throughout the year, but Munford remained part of an attacking squad that all played 800 or more snaps in an offense that fin 2019 fourth in the country in yards per game (529.9) and third in points per game (46.9). At the end of the season, Munford was named the second team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media.
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Munford was healthy in 2020 and was one of the most experienced offensive lineouts returning in the Big Ten. Munford started again with the left attack, which helped keep Fields upright and a stormy attack that was the eighth best in the country with 256.88 yards per game. After reaching the semifinals of the College Football Playoff last year, Munford and the Buckeyes progressed further by advancing to the national championship game where they fell in Alabama. Munford was named the first All-Big Ten team by both the coaches and the media for his performances.
Munford are now giving Ohio State an experienced offensive linebacker, with three years of starting experience, returning to left tackle for the 2021 season. While the Buckeyes have already lost center Josh Myers, who announced Friday night that he would declare for the NFL draft early, and expect right-back Wyatt Davis to declare as well, the Scarlet and Gray should have enough talent and experience to play next year. to return. Munford’s announcement.