Although he did not hear his name called in the 2021 NFL Draft, former Ohio State punter Drue Chrisman has signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. The news was first reported by Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors.
A native of Lawrenceburg, Ind., who played his high school ball at Cincinnati La Salle, Chrisman punted 185 times for an average of 44.0 yards per punt during his four-year career with the Buckeyes. He was a two-time semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top punter, and a two-time All-Big Ten selection.
Chrisman’s best games in an Ohio State uniform came at Michigan State in 2018 and 2020, respectively, as he dropped five second-half punts inside the Spartans’ 6-yard line in the former and booted a career-long 74-yard punt in the latter. Naturally, the Buckeyes won both games.
Ohio State hasn’t had a punter drafted since B.J. Sander in 2004, but Chrisman’s predecessor, Cameron Johnston, also landed a free agent deal following the 2017 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before signing with the Houston Texans this offseason.
Chrisman will join several former Buckeyes in Cincinnati, including offensive guards Michael Jordan and Billy Price, offensive tackle Isaiah Prince, defensive end Sam Hubbard, cornerback Eli Apple and safety Vonn Bell.
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