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Jelani Thurman Has the Size, Versatility and Upside to Develop into the Next Great Tight End at Ohio State

Better Know A Buckeye is our look at every member of Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class and how they became Buckeyes as they prepare to begin their OSU careers this fall.

At 6-foot-6, 253 pounds, there's a reason Jelani Thurman is the third-ranked tight end (No. 104 overall) in the 2023 class. As physically gifted as any tight end in the class, he's the highest-ranked tight end to commit to the Buckeyes since 2018, when Jeremy Ruckert (No. 2 tight end, No. 37 overall) chose Ohio State.

In December, he was ranked as the 33rd-“freakiest” athlete in the 2023 class by 247Sports.