Ohio State is known for having one of the best wide receiver groups in all of college football, so why would one of its wide receivers transfer to Ohio? The truth of the matter is, Ohio was everything Sam Wiglusz wanted in his new program.
The wide receiver played at Ohio State for four years, getting time in 13 games and catching three passes for 25 yards. Although he enjoyed his time playing for Urban Meyer and Ryan Day at Ohio State, Ohio was always on his mind.
Being from Brecksville, Ohio, Wiglusz had heard of Ohio University before. Many of his high school friends came to Ohio to obtain their degree. Wiglusz wanted to visit them and the university throughout his time in Columbus, but he never got the chance.
Despite Ohio being in the back of his head, Wiglusz didn’t always know he wanted to transfer there for his final two years of eligibility. In fact, he wasn’t sure he wanted to transfer at all. However, after he graduated, he decided it was time to make the move. Being a grad transfer makes the transfer process a bit easier, so this spring felt like the right time.
Wiglusz explored his options, but at the end of the day, Ohio was a perfect fit for him. It was still fairly close to home, which makes it easier for his parents to travel to games. In addition, Wiglusz is less than an hour and a half away from his two sisters who still attend Ohio State.
Ohio tight ends coach Brian Metz also made Wiglusz comfortable in his move. Although Metz is not Wiglusz’s position coach, he had a connection to one of Wiglusz’s closest coaches at Ohio State. Having a familiar face on the coaching staff that he could talk to was a plus side that Wiglusz couldn’t overlook.
Most importantly though, Wiglusz wanted the opportunity to play a bigger role at his new program. After only playing in a handful of games at Ohio State, he wanted to join a team where he could make an immediate impact.
Ohio desperately needed more experienced receivers going into the 2022 season. Four of its top six receivers left the team with a big hole to fill. Ohio head coach Tim Albin said he was a little worried about Ohio’s receiving corps heading into spring practice, but after the addition of Wiglusz, he felt better.
“(Receiving corps) was going to be a strength for us heading into fall camp,” Albin said. “Sam is one of the reasons for that. He's had a great first two ball games. (He’s) highly intelligent.”
So far, Wiglusz has been able to make the impact that he hoped. He is Ohio’s third leading receiver, with nine catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns, which leads the team.
Part of what prepared him for his new role at Ohio was the level of competition he faced every day at Ohio State. Even just practicing against his teammates in Columbus made Wiglusz a better player.
To Wiglusz, FBS football is similar no matter where you play. He hasn’t had a hard time with the transition because he is already so familiar with how collegiate athletics works.
“It's not too different,” Wiglusz said. “It's just a bunch of college kids working hard and working together to achieve a goal.”
All the work he has put in at Ohio State and this summer at Ohio paid off when he stepped onto Frank Solich Field for Ohio’s season opener against Florida Atlantic. What made the moment even sweeter was Ohio’s 41-38 win.
“Running onto the field after we took a knee is probably the best memory so far,” Wiglusz said.
Wiglusz has been settling into things at Ohio well, and it will be interesting how he continues to embody his new leading role as Ohio enters Mid-American Conference play. If one thing is for sure, it’s that Wiglusz is glad to be where he is.
