Centerville grad transferring to Ohio State

Last year, he was 11-for-13 with a long of 52 yards that was the game winner for the Cardinals against Northern Illinois on Oct. 26.

Courville was the All-Ohio second-team kicker as a senior for the Elks, when he made nine of 17 field goals and 32 of 35 PAT kicks. He had a long of 55 yards that season against Marysville.

He will join an Ohio State roster that returns Jayden Fielding, a senior from Texas who is 29-for-37 on field goals over the past two seasons but has not made one longer than 47 yards.

Fielding missed two field goals against Michigan and one in the first round of the College Football Playoff but rallied to go two for two against Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

He also made both of his field goal attempts in the National Championship Game against Notre Dame, including a 33-yarder that clinched the 34-23 win with 26 seconds left.

Courville has two seasons of eligibility remaining and still has a redshirt season available if Fielding remains the Buckeyes’ full-time kicker this fall.

Ohio State already has a notable history with Elks kickers: Mike Nugent was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity ‘O’ Hall of Fame along with fellow CHS grad A.J. Hawk in 2019.

Nugent made 25 of 28 field goals during Ohio State’s 2002 national championship season and ended up 72 for 88 in his career, including 8 of 9 from 50 yards or more. He was a two-time All-American and won the Lou Groza Award in 2004 as the nation’s top kicker.

He is Ohio State’s all-time leader in field goal accuracy (81.8) and points (356).