Four-star tight end out of Georgia, Jelani Thurman, commits to Ohio State

Photo Credit: on3.com

The Ohio State Buckeyes pushed late for four-star tight end, Jelani Thurman, and it paid off, as he committed to the Buckeyes on Sunday. On May 18, Thurman joined me for an Instagram Live Interview, while at the time being down to his Top 8 schools.

Thurman is a six-foot, six-inch, 230-pound tight end out of Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn, Georgia. He is the ninth ranked tight end, No. 11 recruit in Georgia, and No. 135 overall recruit in the country according to 247sports.

Jelani Thurman Interview

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The Langston Hughes tight end chose Ohio State over Alabama, Auburn, Jackson State, and Michigan State, but held 29 offers throughout his recruitment. He took official visits to Alabama, Auburn, Michigan State, and Ohio State, but his last visit was to Ohio State on June 24. Of the five schools Thurman was down to before his commitment, Ohio State was the last to offer him. However, their late push over the past five months proved to be enough to land his commitment.

“They came on the radar a little bit late, but when they came, they came strong,” Thurman said.

Thurman joins four-star tight end, Ty Lockwood, who plays at Independence High School in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee, as the two tight ends in Ohio State’s 2023 class. But aside from tight ends, the Buckeyes have recruited pass catchers better than arguably anybody in the country, landing three of the top ten wide receivers in the country, and two of the top ten tight ends in the country.

After landing Lockwood in August of 2021, they offered Thurman in early February of 2022. The Buckeyes made it a priority to land him in order to have that one-two tight end punch for their Class of 2023. “They really wanted me,” Thurman said. “They was saying I was the top guy on their board.”

Despite coming into the picture later than the other schools Thurman was looking at, Ohio State was a school he still took seriously because of their ability to win big games and produce NFL talent. “It was great when they came, obviously that’s a big offer.” Thurman said. “Who wouldn’t want to go to Ohio State”?

Thurman is part of a 6A State Runner-Up team at Langston Hughes, which also features four-star offensive tackle and Georgia commit, Bo Hughley, and four-star safety and Auburn commit, Terrance Love. With his recruitment now out of the way, Thurman can focus on making a run at a state championship once again with his talented team, and carry his winning ways onto Ohio State in 2023.