Over the last few years, Ohio State has started using the tight end more often. For most of Ryan Day's tenure, it was a position that was overlooked in the offense. That has changed with some tight ends that they have brought in from the Transfer Portal in the last couple of seasons.
Both Max Klare and Will Kacmarek were players who were brought in from the Transfer Portal in the last couple of years, and both were drafted. Because of those additions, Jelani Thurman ended up sliding down the depth chart. He transferred away this past offseason, and he had an impressive debut with his new team.
Former Ohio State tight end Jelani Thurman impresses with North Carolina debut
Thurman transferred to North Carolina to play for Bill Belichick, and he seems happy he did. In his first game with the Tar Heels, Thurman finished with four catches for 94 yards. That's more receiving yards than he had all of last season with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
When he was with the Buckeyes, Thurman was never able to put it all together. He was injured early in his career, and that kept him from developing the way he wanted to. Last season, he still wasn't able to get on the field very much because of Klare and Kacmarek being in front of him.
In his first game with the Tar Heels, Thurman showed his ability to be a weapon over the middle. He caught several passes over the seam, and the fact that he can run as fast as he does at his size is impressive. That's what drew Ohio State to him in the first place.
It's a little frustrating to see Thurman play so well for North Carolina when he did next to nothing at Ohio State. In three years with the Buckeyes, he had just 13 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns. After that performance, he might be North Carolina's best weapon.
Ohio State is hoping for a win in Week 1 just like Jelani Thurman
Thurman helped the Tar Heels get a win in Week 0 over TCU in Dublin. It was a low-scoring game, as the Tar Heels won 15-10. The Buckeyes are also hoping to get a win in their first game, although they are hoping to score more points than North Carolina was able to muster.
Going against Ball State, Ohio State shouldn't have much trouble moving the ball and scoring points. The Cardinals don't have a strong defense, so it wouldn't be shocking to see Ohio State score 50+ points in Week 1. They still have some starters to figure out before that matchup, though.
This week of practice will be the first real week where the starters are set and practicing with each other. The offensive line is set, but it's still unclear what the wide receiver rotation will be. Regardless of where it ends up, the Buckeyes will have plenty of strong pass-catchers this season, even in Week 1.
Add us as a preferred source on Google