Thayer Munford’s decision to use his extra year of eligibility and stay at Ohio State for a fifth year wasn’t driven by football.
Having already been the starting left tackle for the Buckeyes for the last three seasons, Munford had already done enough to ensure he’d be selected in the 2021 NFL draft. From that perspective, Munford didn’t need to play another year of college football.
Munford, however, made a promise to his mother during his senior year of high school that he would become the first member of his family to graduate from college. So the opportunity to complete his degree while playing one more season for the Buckeyes was one he felt he could not pass up.