With the 2020 Ohio State football season in the books, it’s time for eligible Buckeyes to make their decisions regarding their future. Will they declare themselves for the 2021 NFL Draft or return to Scarlet and Gray for another year of college football? And this year is even more unique, with each player awarded an extra year of NCAA eligibility.
Friday night, bettor Drue Chrisman became the second Buckeye player to announce that he is going 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 on Friday. The message is transcribed below.
First of all, I want to thank family and friends for their infinite support during all the years of athletics that have led up to this point. I also want to thank the Ohio State coaches and support staff for making me the man I am today. These last five years playing for 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 I decided to declare for the NFL draft 2021 to continue my football journey. Thank you Buckeye Nation and as always … Go Bucks!
Chrisman was a three-star recruit and No. 1 gambler in the 2016 recruiting class. He resigned in his first year in Ohio, but starting in 2017, Chrisman took over as the initial bettor for the Buckeyes. In his final year with Scarlet and Gray, Chrisman kicked 27 times with a 45-yard average punt. Chrisman lost the Big Ten Championship Game due to the COVID-19 protocols.
Here is information about Chrisman from his biography at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
Enter the senior season as one of the top Big Ten bettors and nationally
• His career average of 43.9 yards per punt ranks fifth in Ohio state history
• Placed 72 punts within the 20-yard line, the third largest in the program’s history
• His 44.3 yards per punt helped Buckeyes to rank third in the Big Ten in liquid punting in 2019
• Poured a 61-yard liter over the season against Michigan
• Three of his five punts landed within the 20-yard line against Northwestern
• Relived his high school quarterback days by completing a 21-yard pass on a fake punt in the second quarter of the Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin
• Taken the state of Ohio to No. 1 in the Big Ten in net punting in 2018, averaging 41.6 yards, a number that was the sixth best nationally
• Won Ray Guy’s National Betting Prize of the week, after averaging 47.9 yards on nine scores in the win behind, in crazy white-out conditions at Penn State
• It was even better in the Michigan victory, dropping all five punts from its second half within the Spartan’s 6-yard line and leading directly to Ohio’s nine points in the one-foot ice fight, 26 -6
• Scored 29 punts out of 20 during the 2018 season, the second highest in school history
• 15 of his 27 punts last season were shot within 10
• In 2017, as a freshman in a red shirt, he was a Ray Guy Award semifinalist and bettor on the third All-Ten team after an average of 44.2 yards per punt, placing second at the Big Ten Conference and 14th nationally
• Had 25 punts shot within 20, 15 in 50 yards
• His net average of 41.1 helped the Buckeyes to lead the Big Ten and become ninth nationally
• There was no game in which he averaged less than 45 yards per punt in the last five games of the season (all wins) and included a personal best day of 48.5 yards vs. Michigan StateHonors & Awards
2020: Second All-American Preseason Team by Chris Sailer Kicking
2019: Honorable mention All-Big Ten (coaches and media)
Academic All-Big Ten and OSU Scholar-Athlete
2018: All-Big Ten of the third team (coaches and media)
Ray Guy semifinalist
Academic All-Big Ten and OSU Scholar-Athlete
2017: Ray Guy semifinalist
Academic All-Big Ten and OSU Scholar-AthleteFlipping the field … and bottles
• Last year, Chrisman became a world-renowned flipper. And he still is, adding degrees of difficulty and moving targets to his repertoireA spring game surprise
• Chrisman proposed to his now fiancé – Avery Eliason, from Lawrenceburg, Indiana – at the break of the spring 2019 game at Ohio Stadium
• He set it up as a starter in a field goal kick competition with Avery taking his turn. She was stopped, however, and still on one knee, Chrisman proposed. And Avery said “yes”.More about Drue
• Chrisman was ranked number one in the 2016 recruiting class with 247Sports ranking him first, the prestigious kick and punting organization Kohl ranking him first (out of 81 players) and Scout ranking him second
• On average 46.4 and 43.0 yards per point during the 2015 and 2014 seasons for LaSalle, respectively
• The Lancers, coached by Jim Hilvert, won Division II state championships in Ohio these seasons
• Named first Division II team for all states by the Associated Press as senior after receiving second team honors for all states in 2014
• First Team Major Catholic League
• Named all-USA Ohio by USA Today
• An All-American American Army
• He had 38 out of 40 extra points as a senior and kicked a 41-yard winning field goal with 10 seconds left to help LaSalle defeat Colerain 39-36 in an important game
• He is the son of Sheila and Travis Chrisman
In addition to his skill as a bettor, Chrisman is also one of the best bottle swimmers in the country. Whichever NFL team chooses him, he will receive a multisport athlete.