The Ohio State football program continues to deal with an exodus of players from the program. Around 30 players have already left the Buckeyes heading into next season. It has been a disaster that fans were not prepared to deal with just a year after winning a national title.
One of the players who decided to enter the Transfer Portal was tight end Jelani Thurman. Thurman spent three seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes but was never able to stay healthy. His physical tools were always intriguing, but he kept sliding down the depth chart.
Thurman will have two more years of eligibility remaining at his new stop. He has decided to move on from one of the most stable programs in college football to go to one of the biggest disasters in the country this past season, deciding to commit to Bill Belichick and North Carolina.
Former Ohio State tight end Jelani Thurman commits to North Carolina
While Thurman is likely going to get more playing time next season, North Carolina was a complete disaster this past season. In Belichick's first season, the Tar Heels went just 4-8. They lost their starting quarterback to the Transfer Portal after the year ended, as well.
If Thurman can make it work in Chapel Hill, it will be very surprising. That's not a knock on Thurman, either. The situation around him is filled with distractions. From the Jordon Hudson situation to Mike Lombardi being the GM, the entire program was a soap opera this past year.
Ohio State won't miss Thurman next season because he was already pretty far down the depth chart, even if Max Klare decides to declare for the NFL. The Buckeyes also grabbed Mason Williams to increase their depth at that spot early in the portal process.
Ohio State will continue to try to turn things around in the portal. They have a few visits scheduled for the next few days, so they are hoping to land a few defensive linemen, a kicker, and another running back. All of those are massive needs.