The Columbus Dispatch

Wypler, Johnson eager for NFL after three years as Buckeyes

- Bill Rabinowitz Columbus Dispatch USA TODAY NETWORK

INDIANAPOL­IS — Three years ago, Luke Wypler and Paris Johnson Jr. enrolled at Ohio State.

The COVID pandemic would hit a couple of months later, beginning a Buckeye career for both of the offensive linemen that had twists and turns.

“We were kind of joking about it the other day when we first got here,” Wypler said at the NFL combine. “Three years ago at this time, we were hanging out in the dorm rooms getting ready for our first spring ball practice. We had no idea the journey and the road that was ahead for us, and it’s exciting to be able to kind of do it together now that we’re in Indianapol­is.”

Wypler did not expect in 2020 that he would be a Buckeye for only three years.

“That wasn’t what I had envisioned, but that’s how it turned out, and I’m thankful I’m healthy and on to the next level,” he said.

The New Jersey native was a four-star prospect and considered a bit of a project as he transition­ed from tackle to center.

But he became a starter in 2021 when Harry Miller was injured before the season opener and later stepped away from the game because of mental health issues.

Wypler was on the fence about returning for his senior season. A strong performanc­e against Georgia and star defensive tackle Jalen Carter in a College Football Playoff semifinal convinced him he was ready to turn pro.

“This game is all about competitio­n,” he said. “When you play some of the best defensive linemen in the country and we held our own and excelled, that definitely factored into my decision.

“I’m sad that we couldn’t pull out the win. That game still sits in my stomach a little bit. Every time I watch the film of it, you still can’t believe we lost that game. But I played well enough to make me think that I was ready for this next level.”

Wypler has spent the past two months training for the combine, which he referred to as the “underwear Olympics” because there are no contact drills and players aren’t in pads. As for all the emphasis on the 40-yard dash, Wypler commented dryly, “Big guys running the 40-yard dash is something we do a lot in football.”

Wypler might not dazzle in the 40, but he is hoping to impress teams with his athleticis­m and intelligen­ce.

He is projected as a middle-round pick, though perhaps as high as the second round.

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