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The state of Ohio received its first big surprise of the 2021 offseason. Saturday morning, offensive lineman Thayer Munford ad on social networks he returns for a fifth year with the Buckeyes. Munford is able to do so due to an NCAA rule amendment that states that the 2020 season will not count towards player eligibility. This means that even seniors like Munford can come back for a fifth year without taking on a red shirt season.
Munford is not the first scarlet and gray senior to take advantage of this change to the normal eligibility rules. Senior cornerback Marcus Williamson announced last week during his media meeting ahead of the college football playoff national championship game that he would also be returning to Ohio state for a fifth year.
After initially attending Cincinnati LaSalle High School, and help the Lancers win back-to-back state 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 have only been allowed to play three games in his final year after the transfer.
Despite interest in the state of Ohio, Munford faced adversity to even become a Buckeye. After struggling academically. Munford had to improve his grades to register for Ohio State and coaches Scarlet and Gray needed him to lose 50 pounds so he could play for the Buckeyes.
Listed as a good tackle save Prince of Isaiah as a rookie in 2018, Munford entered the field for 202 games. The following year, Munford was named a starter to left tackle to start the season and started 13 games before sustaining an injury that forced him out of the Roe Bowl. Munford was part of an offense which who broke numerous Ohio State and Big Ten records including total yards per game (535.6 / game) and touchdowns per pass (51) while blocking for the quarterback Dwayne Haskins and running backs JK Dobbins and Mike weber. After the year, Munford was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten by coaches and the media.
After the 2018 season, Munford underwent back surgery which kept him out of the offseason. Yet when the year began, Munford was once again the Buckeyes’ starting left tackle in 2019, blocking for Dobbins and the quarterback. Justin fields. The back continued to bother him throughout the year, but Munford remained part of an offensive line group who all played 800 or more shots on an offense that fwas fourth in the country in yards per game in 2019 (529.9) and third in points per game (46.9). After the season, Munford was named the second All-Big Ten team by coaches and the media.
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Returning to good health in 2020, Munford was one of the most experienced offensive linemen back in the Big Ten. Munford started off at left tackle again, helping to keep Fields on his feet and an offense on the run that was eighth best in the country at 256.88 yards per game. After reaching the college football playoff semifinals the year before, Munford and the Buckeyes took it one step further as they advanced to the national championship game where they fell to Alabama. Munford was named the first-team All-Big Ten by coaches and the media for his performances.
Munford now gives Ohio State a seasoned offensive lineman, with three years of starting experience, returning to left tackle for the 2021 season. While the Buckeyes have already lost center Josh Myers, who has announced Friday night that he was declaring early for the NFL Draft, and expect right guard Wyatt Davis to also say, the Scarlet and Gray should have a lot of talent and experience back next year after Munford’s announcement.
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