Ohio State to add another Penn State football letterman to staff

The reigning National Champions are set to add another rising coach with roots in Happy Valley to its staff. On Thursday night, Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported that Ohio State is expected to hire Penn State football letterman Wendy Laurent as an analyst.

The Buckeyes will be Laurent’s fourth program since joining the coaching ranks in 2019. Most recently, Laurent coached tight ends at Dartmouth for the last three seasons, assuming the title of associate head coach last spring. He rejoined James Franklin and the Nittany Lions to work as a graduate assistant in 2020 after getting his start at Buffalo in the same capacity.

Ohio State is also expected to hire Wendy Laurent as an analyst, sources tell @CBSSports/@247Sports.

The former Penn State offensive lineman, who blocked for players like Saquon Barkley, has been the associate head coach and tight ends coach at Dartmouth. Worked at Penn State as… https://t.co/chZwOFlrPi pic.twitter.com/M0ypo9vX5F

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 20, 2025

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A Hamilton, New Jersey, native, Laurent appeared in 34 games, starting eight, between 2012 and 2016. He was a key component of the Penn State rushing attack in 2015 and 2016, including the Nittany Lions’ run to the Big Ten Championship during his final season.

Laurent now becomes the third coach with Penn State football connections to take roles on the Ohio State staff this offseason. In early February, Ryan Day and the Buckeyes hired former tight ends coach Tyler Bowen to coach the offensive line and promoted one-time Nittany Lions walk-on Billy Fessler from offensive analyst to quarterbacks coach.

Penn State and Ohio State will face off in Columbus on November 1 this fall.

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