Published Jan 16, 2021
OSU LT Thayer Munford to return for fifth season
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Griffin Strom  •  DottingTheEyes
Team Writer
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Ohio State senior left tackle Thayer Munford was one of the last Scarlet and Gray players to leave the field following the Buckeyes' loss to Alabama in the national championship game, but it appears he'll have one more shot to get back to that stage.

Munford announced that he'll cash in on his extra season of eligibility and return for a fifth season in the program, which means the former three-star high school prospect could finish his Ohio State career as a four-year starter on the left side of the offensive line.

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Finally healthy in 2020 after dealing with an ongoing back in injury for the better part of the previous two seasons, Munford had perhaps his finest year for the Buckeyes as a senior.

Munford was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the Big Ten coaches and media, and Pro Football Focus gave him its fourth-highest grade ever among Big Ten tackles since it began handing out grades.

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Prior to the national championship game, Pro Football Focus cited Munford as giving up the second-lowest pressure percentage among all Power Five offensive tackles this season, higher only than Ohio State right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere.

Munford allowed just two pressures on 224 pass-block snaps, and not a single sack before the national championship game, according to Pro Football Focus.

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The return of Munford is monumental for a group that figured to lose at least three starters after the 2020 season, but the veteran presence of a long-time starting tackle will shore things up for the unit next season.

Ohio State finished the year with the No. 8 rush offense in the country, and the No. 7 total offense, as its offensive line was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award.