Jelani Thurman

Ohio State Overview • Jelani is in his third season with the program and has three seasons of eligibility • An imposing presence at tight end, he is a veteran of 21 games • He played in all 16 games in 2024 for the CFP national champions • Had four receptions for 42 yards and one touchdown in 2024 • Caught his first collegiate touchdown pass, covering one yard - against Indiana • Had a big, 19-yard first down catch in the win at Penn State • He played in five games as a true freshman in 2023 and ultimately red-shirted the season • He started in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl and also played against Western Kentucky, Purdue, Michigan State and Minnesota • He caught his first collegiate pass against Michigan State and finished the game with two receptions for 18 yards • He is a two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and an Academic All-Big Ten Conference honoree and is majoring in sport administration Honors & Awards 2024: OSU Scholar-Athlete, Academic All-Big Ten Conference 2023: OSU Scholar-Athlete More on Jelani • Jelani signed his National Letter of Intent with the Buckeyes in December of 2022 • He enrolled at Ohio State in January of 2023 and took part in spring drills • He was one of the nation’s top tight ends as a senior in 2022 • Ranked No. 104 nationally in the 247Sports composite • The No. 4-ranked tight end and a four-star prospect overall • Caught 39 passes for 624 yards and 13 touchdowns in 14 games as a senior for Langston Hughes High School • Led Langston Hughes to a 15-0 record as a senior and a 6A state title win over Gainesville • Amassed over 1,000 yards receiving over his final two high school seasons with 19 touchdowns and an average of nearly 16 yards per catch • Also played defense where he had 74 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and four pass breakups • Is the son of Kara Braxton and Odell Thurman; Mom was a two-time WNBA champion with the Detroit Shock and Dad played in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals