Former club football defensive back Jackson Gula (14) reads the offense in the NCFA National Championship game. Gula was later brought on to the Buckeyes as a walk-on. Credit: Colin Kovinchick | Ohio State Club Football
Jackson Gula was in elementary school when he was assigned a project to list his future goals.???
“I will play football for the Ohio State University,” wrote Gula, a lifelong Buckeye fan.?
On July 7, that childhood dream came true when Gula turned his involvement in the Ohio State club football team into a walk-on spot with the varsity team.?
Gula spent his freshman year as the club team’s starting free safety, earning second-team National Club Football Association All-American honors. Although he joined the team after the season started, playing his first game in the fourth week of the season, Gula recorded 29 tackles, eight pass deflections and three interceptions for Ohio State’s 2025 NCFA national championship-winning team.
After earning a walk-on roster spot from a summer tryout, he’ll now be on the Ohio Stadium turf on Saturdays this upcoming fall.?
“It’s kind of always been a dream of mine,” Gula said.
Gula attended Streetsboro High School in Ohio, earning three-time All-Ohio and two-time first team all-district honors.?
He received only one Division I offer, from Kent State, but a coaching change prompted him to instead attend Ohio State, pursuing a finance major.
“I thought the dream of playing Division I football was over kind of after that,” Gula said. “But when I got to Ohio State, I continued to chase that dream.”?
Gula said club football team quarterback Niko Pappas encouraged him to check out the club team during one of his first weeks on campus, reigniting his desire to play.?
“After seeing the competitiveness and everything like that, I kind of missed it and really wanted to get back on the field,” Gula said.?
Ohio State’s club football head coach James Grega Jr., told Gula that if he continued to work on his craft, he might earn a walk-on spot with the varsity football team.?
That message motivated Gula.?
“As soon as I heard that, I was like ‘Oh, this is awesome, this is something I always dreamed of, I’d love to be able to even just have the opportunity to do anything with Ohio State football,” Gula said.?
That opportunity came after the club Buckeyes hoisted the NCFA national championship trophy for the second year in a row.?
In June, Gula heard from Grega to expect a call from Tim Hinton, the executive director for football relations/special assistant to the head coach of Ohio State football. Gula later received an invite from Hinton to workout for a varsity team roster spot, joining the team after working a night shift at a summer job in his hometown.?
“I ended up getting off work about 9:30 p.m.,” he said. “I had to drive two hours to Columbus, got a hotel, and I stayed the night in Columbus, ended up waking up early, going to the tryout, everything went well and then after that things just started rolling.
“About a week later, I got offered the spot.”?
Despite the quick turnaround, Jackson’s mother, Meridith, knew her son had to take advantage of the tryout.?
“This has been a dream of yours since you were young, we’re going to make it happen,” Meridith Gula said.?
Grega said Gula’s combination of skill, size at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, redshirt-freshman eligibility and academic standing, made him a good fit.?
“You knew exactly what you were going to get from [Gula] every single day, just ultra consistent both on and off the field,” Grega said.
Grega, who has led the club program to four NCFA national championships since taking over as head coach in 2018, said one reason the club football team is important is the opportunities it provides.
“You never like to lose one of your best, if not your best player, but ultimately the goal of our program is to help elevate our students to reach their goals, whatever they might be,” Grega said. “To see him reach that goal is obviously very satisfying; we’re very excited for him.”
Gula is the sixth former Ohio State club football player to join the varsity team during Grega’s tenure, and is the fourth on the varsity Buckeyes’ 2026 roster, joining offensive lineman Ian Gecse, linebacker Zach Hayes and defensive back Glorien Gough. Gecse joined the varsity team in 2025, while Hayes and Gough each did in 2024.???
“Seeing those guys do it first gave me the belief that I could do it myself,” Gula said. “And now that I’m on the team and seeing how successful they are and how hardworking they are has really inspired me to keep going.”
