Yahoo Sports 
Report: Ohio State adds kickoff specialist Jack Willoughby from Duke
Ohio State will receive a boost on special teams in 2015.
According to The Duke Chronicle, Duke kickoff specialist Jack Willoughby will transfer to Ohio State. As a graduate transfer, Willoughby would be eligible to play immediately.
“I made a list of every team in the country that I would want to play for in the big conferences and then started to narrow down based on who had a senior kicker graduating or who could use someone like me to step in and compete for kicking duties,” Willoughby said, per the Chronicle. “I reached out to a bunch of coaches and ultimately Ohio State was the best fit from a football and an academic standpoint.”
Willoughby told the Chronicle that he visited Ohio State’s campus in Columbus on April 4 and met with head coach Urban Meyer. He said he’ll have the opportunity to compete for the team’s primary field goal kicking job as well as working on kickoffs. Sean Nuernberger was the Buckeyes’ primary kicker last year. He made 13-of-20 field goal attempts as a true freshman for the national champions.
“Ohio State had a senior kickoff specialist (Kyle Clinton) last year, who graduated. He was great for them and has left big shoes that I’m excited to try to fill,” Willoughby said. “They also have a talented young field goal kicker who was a true freshman last year and will be back for his sophomore year. But I know that Ohio State is very committed to winning and to putting the best players on the field, so I know that I’ll get a fair chance to compete to kick field goals.
"If I’m that best player, then I’ll play and if I’m not, then I won’t play. That’s all I can ask for.”
Willoughby, a Princeton, N.J., native, was a walk-on at Duke who worked his way up the depth chart to become the Blue Devils’ kickoff specialist late in the 2013 season. He then played in all 13 games as a senior last year, averaged 65.4 yards per kickoff and registered 25 touchbacks on 69 total kickoffs.
For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com.
For more Duke news, visit DevilsIllustrated.com.
- - - - - - -
Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
