How Jelani Thurman's Commitment Impacts Ohio State’s 2023 Recruiting Class

An in-depth look at what Thurman will bring to the Buckeyes both on and off the field.

Ohio State has once again regained the top spot in the 247Sports composite team rankings for the class of 2023 following a commitment on Sunday afternoon from Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes four-star tight end Jelani Thurman.

The 6-foot-5 and 230-pound Thurman has flown a bit under the radar this cycle despite his athleticism, ideal size and versatility, which shine through under the Friday night lights.

He is coming off a junior season in which he caught 31 passes for 479 yards and seven touchdowns, while also recording 61 tackles, five quarterback hurries and one sack from the defensive end position to lead the Panthers to the 6A state championship game last fall.

Thurman is the son of former Georgia linebacker Odell Thurman, who was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award in 2004 and a second-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2005 NFL Draft, and WNBA All-Star Kara Braxton, who won two championships with the Detroit Shock.

He's also the stepson of former Bulldogs linebacker Jarvis Jackson, so it's somewhat interesting that Georgia never offered despite his connections to the program.

That said, it's no surprise that Thurman has developed into an elite athlete with strong hands, a wide catch radius, a 6-foot-11 wingspan and exceptional footwork, which have also helped him on the basketball court. He's hoping to play both sports in college, though it's quite rare for athletes in Columbus.

As we pointed out last year when defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau announced his commitment, the last athlete to play both football and basketball at Ohio State was safety Nate Salley, who averaged 0.8 points and 0.4 rebounds in 10 games in 2002-03.

As for how he fits into the class, Thurman is now the second tight end to commit to Ohio State this cycle, joining Thompson's Station (Tenn.) Independence four-star Ty Lockwood, who has been in the fold for almost a year now.

The Buckeyes have hoped to land a pair of players at the position in the last few cycles, but it didn't work out for one reason or another. That includes 2021, when they added Sam Hart and just missed on Ole Miss signee Hudson Wolfe, and 2022, when they had both Bennett Christian and Benji Gosnell before the latter reopened his recruitment.

The ability to deploy two tight ends who are both excellent receivers and excel at blocking is something that can make Ohio State's offense even more potent, whether it's in the pass or run game, and that's a pretty scary thought considering the Buckeyes led the nation in scoring in 2021.

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