Spring practice optimism is cheap. Every April, there’s usually a new “consistent” kicker or a player who “strikes the ball well.” But there’s something different about Ohio State’s new kicker this year. Connor Hawkins’ 81.8% field goal rate isn’t even the main talk. Ryan Day’s choice of words while describing him caught the attention of fans.
“Connor is somebody who’s been clutch,” Ryan Day said during his press conference. “We’ve seen that before when he was at Baylor. So he has experience making game-winning kicks and big kicks. We know that’s gonna come up this season.”
“Clutch.” That’s a description coaches don’t hand out easily. But this expectation means Connor Hawkins shouldn’t provide room for error in 2026. All eyes will be on him when things get tight and pressure runs high with the season hanging in the air for three seconds. But the kicker has already lived in that moment, even if it was in the Big 12.
Despite making several notable plays last season including 18 kicks and a clean extra-point sheet, Connor Hawkins’ best moments came in three kicks. Against SMU when they were tied in the third quarter, he kicked a 26-yarder to steady things. That’s not all as he showed up again in the second overtime and ended the game with a 48-45 Baylor win.
Ryan Day used the word “Clutch” to describe Ohio State’s new kicker, Connor Hawkins. That word is literally the only thing that matters given what this program’s dealt with the past few years:
“He has experience making game-winning kicks and big kicks.” https://t.co/pxh8VmDXv9
— Stephen Means (@Stephen_Means) April 10, 2026
Another big show happened against Kansas State with bigger pressure as the clock hangs under 1:10. The game was hanging by a thread as Connor Hawkins lined up from 53 yards out and scored it without hesitation leading to a close 35-34 win. That’s what Ohio State fans are excited about because they’ve lived through moments where a 50-yarder decides everything but doesn’t go your way.
This is why Connor Hawkins is viewed as an intriguing Buckeye kicker in 2026. There’s a reason Ryan Day didn’t bother dressing it up. “Clutch” is a verdict. In a program chasing championships, it’s the only one that matters and the head coach isn’t the only one high on praise.
Ryan Day sets a new standard on special teams
Ryan Day made sure to give importance to special teams by appointing a full-time special teams coordinator in Robby Discher. The former Illinois coach has seen what elite special teams looks like, having helped build a top-10 unit with the Fighting Illini. And when he talks about Connor Hawkins, he doesn’t start with leg strength either but temperament.
“The moment’s never too big for Connor,” he said. “You can tell he’s got a good demeanor about it and he’s even-keeled, and he’s done a good job.”
That “even-keeled” description comes up a lot with kickers who survive big moments. Discher saw it before with his former kicker at Illinois, David Olano. The duo has the same profile, same mental wiring and he believes the same results will follow.
“They’re never too high, they’re never too low,” he said of the similarity between the two kickers. “You miss a kick, you’ve already forgot about it by the time you got a next opportunity… They’re both super competitive, which is a big thing as well.”
