How Ohio State football’s Luke Wypler handled his first start, and how he’s preparing for more

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Luke Wypler closely guarded the news of his first career start last week, telling only close family members he would handle Ohio State football’s first snap of the season at Minnesota.

Word leaked out, though. Former Buckeyes center Josh Myers, soon to make his NFL debut with the Green Bay Packers, reached out to Wypler. So did another former OSU mentor — Minnesota Vikings rookie Wyatt Davis.

Those alums talked Wypler through his “worries,” and he handled the rest.

“I was ready in my head,” Wypler said. “I knew my job. I knew that I had four other guys counting on me — and not just the four on the offensive line, the whole team counting on me — to do my job. So in that moment, ‘OK, let’s put the hard hat on and go to work.’”

Wypler said he learned he would start last Thursday’s season opener around mid-week. Ohio State listed presumptive starting center Harry Miller as unavailable, and he did not travel to Minnesota. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day termed Miller’s situation “day to day” after the game.

Wypler said Wednesday he is practicing as if he will start Saturday against Oregon “until I‘m told otherwise.” He showed against the Gophers he could hold up his responsibilities.

At 6-3, 300 pounds, he jokingly called himself the “midget” of an offensive line on which the other starters all stand at least 6-5 and weigh 315 pounds or more. Wypler still graded out a champion blocking for an offense that totaled 495 yards and scored five touchdowns of 50 or more yards.

Wypler committed a handful of iffy snaps, which he refused to blame on the wet conditions. He made adjustments and stabilized over the course of the game. It was only the beginning for the redshirt freshman, but a promising one.

“For a guy getting thrown into the fire, it was a helluva start,” Day said. “I think that he really handled it well for a young player, I’m proud of him.

“Now he’s got to go. It’s more than that. You’ve got to continue to build on that. But to get thrown in there and handle it the way he did as a young player was pretty impressive.”

A native of Montvale, New Jersey, Wypler was able to have his father, Al, at the game in Minneapolis. His mother, Michele Desimone, could not fly out due to flooding caused by Hurricane Ida. So she was able to tell him later that the Fox announcers on the television broadcast kept mispronouncing his name.

St. Joseph (Mont.) Regional 2019 media day — Luke Wypler starred at St. Joseph Regional in Montvale, New Jersey, before joining Ohio State.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

That’s a minor annoyance -- it’s whip-lure, by the way -- since it means they had reason to say his name. Wypler’s start came as a surprise because Miller was not known to be dealing with an injury or other ailment leading up to the game. However, Wypler had been intensely preparing for this opportunity for months.

In retrospect, all of the snaps Wypler received last spring when Miller was recovering from labrum surgery paid off at Minnesota.

“Coming into the game, I think it gave me a lot more confidence, knowing that I go against the best linemen in the country every single day here,” Wypler said.

Former Buckeyes were not the only ones reassuring and advising Wypler last week. He called Miller “instrumental” in talking him through the process and easing his nerves.

Preparedness, though, comes easy to Wypler. He called film study “one of my hobbies.” He was back in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center right after the team returned from last season’s national championship game, sending offensive line coach Greg Studrawa workout clips and asking for critiques.

“This is what I love to do,” Wypler said. “I think of this as my job. Obviously I’m also a student, but this is something I love to do, and it isn’t really hard work when you love to do something.”

The hard work paid off immediately this season. It may serve him well again soon.

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