Carving out a collegiate path from long snapping is an indescribably difficult task to undertake.

Many schools don’t go out of their way to sign recruits at the special teams position. Those that do send out a single offer every three to four years.

Thus, earning one means you’ve risen to the top of a position that is all work and mostly bereft of recognition.

That’s precisely what 2021 long snapper Mason Arnold did, landing a preferred walk-on offer from Ohio State Monday.

“It’s crazy,” Arnold said. “Honestly I can’t comprehend it at the moment. Because this is a dream come true.”

Middle school was the beginning of Arnold’s long snapping career.

Arnold’s father showed him what long snapping entailed, and after the youngster took an interest his father’s friend, Sal Cuono, an experienced instructor of the position, became Arnold’s coach.

The more he practiced with Cuono, the more it appeared he had a natural knack for the skill. He started Varsity at Carrollwood Day High School as a freshman.

“It’s just a lot of hard work. Hard work,” Arnold said. “Training all the time. Doing the right thing. Perfecting your craft.”

Sal Cuono’s son Dominic Cuono eventually took over Arnold’s training.

Family and friends are saved for weekends, because during his weeks Arnold is buried in work.

In addition to the eight hours Monday to Friday he spends either with a coach, friend or net long snapping, Arnold spends countless hours training as one of Florida’s best high school wrestlers, with practices every day and weightlifting three times a week. That’s alongside his high school classes.

Both his sophomore and junior seasons he finished as runner up in the state championships for Class 2A, the first time at 220 pounds and the second time at heavyweight.

The latter is even more impressive considering he wrestled at around 245 pounds against athletes up to 285 pounds in stature.

With the state championships two months away, Arnold has gone through the rigorous process of cutting back down to the 220-pound weight class, hoping to finally capture the state title that eluded him the past two seasons.

“Now I feel like I’m at the perfect weight,” Arnold said. “I feel faster. I don’t know how, but I feel stronger. I’m just bigger than everybody at 220 this year, because I did make the cut.”

COVID-19 has limited the wrestling season, but in the shortened match schedule Arnold boasts a 10-0 record.

As unrelated as the two may seem at first glance, Arnold credits his long snapping success to lessons learned from wrestling.

It taught him how to handle pressure.

“It helps tremendously,” Arnold said. “Because wrestling -- I believe wrestling is more about the mental aspect of the sport rather than the actual physical part. And being mentally tough in any situation in life, can just -- I don’t know how to say this, but make you great.”

While he’ll always hold an affinity for wrestling, Arnold said it’s his lifelong ambition to play college football and that’s what he’ll do at the next level.

There’s a good chance he’ll do it at Ohio State. The lone other offer he holds is from Kansas, and while he’s still considering the Jayhawks and taking his time before National Signing Day Feb. 3, the Buckeyes definitely stand out.

“Of course I’m still interested in Kansas,” Arnold said. “But like I said, Ohio State -- that’s like a dream come true.”

Should he come to Columbus, he’d work with Ohio State special teams coordinator Matt Barnes primarily.

“I’ve only texted with him, I haven’t actually spoken with him on the phone yet,” Arnold said. “But I do believe that he has my best interests [at heart]. I will get a chance to compete, to play.”

Arnold will likely choose between the Buckeyes and Jayhawks sometime in the next month.