Ohio State punter Cameron Johnston signs with Philadelphia Eagles as undrafted free agent

Former Ohio State punter Cameron Johnston has signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles after no team elected to take a flier in this year’s NFL draft.

How did Johnston do at the combine?

Punting is obviously a different animal than the skills that are usually tested for at the combine. For whatever it’s worth, Johnston ran a 4.92 40-yard dash, making him among the fastest punters at the event. He measured 5’11 and 194 pounds with a 31-inch arm length.

How good was Johnston in college?

The former Aussie Rules football player was a stud for the Buckeyes throughout his career. In 2016, he pinned opponents deep with astonishing regularity, racking up 24 fair catches on 56 punts. He put 26 of those 56 inside the 20, hit just five touchbacks, and averaged almost 47 yards per boot. Johnston was also a finalist for the nation’s top punting honor, the Ray Guy Award.

One of Johnston’s best efforts in 2016, against Oklahoma, saw him rain down five punts for 253 yards(!) on the Sooners, all inside the 20. That particular bit of wizardry earned him some high praise from Dave Wannstedt:

He was also a major difference-maker in the Buckeyes’ 2OT thriller against Michigan to close the regular season, refusing to let Jabrill Peppers cook and burying the Wolverines deep in their own end all day.

It was a fitting final season of an excellent tenure in Columbus. Johnston’s punts were often eye-poppingly precise, whether he was booting traditionally or Aussie style (Urban Meyer asked him to do both). He hit multiple punts of 70 yards in his career, one which saw him named second team All-Big Ten in 2015 and a second team All-American in 2016.