Ohio State Tight End Jeremy Ruckert Officially Declares For 2022 NFL Draft

The senior could have returned for an extra year of eligibility but will head to the next level instead.

Widely expected after he accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl last month, Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert officially announced on Thursday evening that he is declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Been dreaming of this since I can remember.. Time to take that next step! pic.twitter.com/cD1RaK1Gms

— Jeremy Ruckert (@Jeremy_Ruckert1) January 6, 2022

“As a Buckeye player, the number one priority I had was doing everything I could to help the team be successful,” Ruckert said in a note posted to Twitter. “The most important things for me were to be a great teammate and to develop different skills that I may not have been able to at other places. I am grateful and can’t wait to continue to grow using the tools I learned in Columbus.”

A former four-star prospect from Lindenhurst, N.Y., Ruckert caught 54 passes for 615 yards and 12 touchdowns in 45 games during his four-year career with the Buckeyes. That includes a pair of scores in wins over Florida Atlantic in 2019, Penn State and Clemson in 2020 and Indiana in 2021.

“We have so many weapons, and that’s a great thing to have. But at the same time, guys have to be unselfish,” head coach Ryan Day said after the win over the Hoosiers. “That’s part of the game, and he’s done a lot of the dirty work blocking inside.

“There’s times where the ball hasn’t come his way, but when you stay positive and stay at it, things work out. We talked this week about, ‘What are you willing to sacrifice to be great and make this run?’ Sometimes, it means sacrificing touches. But eventually it’s going to come back to you, and it did for Jeremy tonight.”

Ruckert was a three-time Ohio State scholar athlete and two-time academic All-Big Ten selection. He'll finish his college career in the Senior Bowl, which takes place in Mobile, Ala., on Feb. 5 alongside defensive end Tyreke Smith and defensive tackle Haskell Garrett.

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