How Ohio State missed out on Zoltan Mesko

Growing up in Twinsburg, Ohio, Mesko was an avid Ohio State fan.

“I was probably on the crazier end of the spectrum on the fan side,” he said. “The guy that would yell at the TV.”

But when the Buckeyes dragged their feet in offering a scholarship, Mesko committed to Michigan.

VIDEO: ZOLTAN MESKO

He attended Michigan’s kicking camp the summer before his senior year of high school, received a scholarship offer the next day and committed on the spot. Two hours later - after news of his commitment hit the internet - Ohio State called with a scholarship offer of its own.

“I did go to Ohio State camp (the summer before my junior season) and they kind of overlooked me,” said Mesko, whose high school coach Al Hodakievic was college roommates with Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel. “They had about 300 kickers at their camp and Michigan had a smaller camp, so when Michigan noticed me, they offered me and I was like, ‘How can I refuse?’ Greatest combination of national exposure as a football program and academically. That’s what did it for me.”