One of the biggest questions on the team going into last season was the tight ends room. With multiple transfers and the starter being a converted wide receiver, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for highly rated recruit Jelani Thurman to make an impact on the field.
Jelani Thurman, coming out of Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn, Georgia, at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, and a top-100 player known for his receiving skills according to 247Sports, seemed like the perfect candidate to grow his role throughout the year and make a name for himself.
Unfortunately for him, that never happened. Thurman found himself playing the most snaps against the weakest teams on Ohio State’s schedule. In fact, he played more snaps in one game against Northwestern than he did during the entire playoff run.
By the end of the year, it was clear Thurman was not living up to his recruiting profile, and he would need to be challenged this offseason to improve and prove to the coaching staff that he belongs on the field.
The problem for Thurman, however, is that Ohio State went out and recruited one of the nation’s best pass-catching tight ends, Max Klare. Last year’s pass-catching tight end was former five-star wide receiver Gee Scott Jr., who graduated and left an open role for pass-catching tight ends this year. But the addition of Max Klare seems to keep Thurman right where he was last year.
After spring practice, Tight Ends Coach Keenan Bailey spoke about Thurman. He told reporters that in regard to his consistency, Thurman is “off the charts, night-and-day more mature.” Bailey also mentioned how impressed he is with Thurman’s work ethic, saying, “He’s in here every night getting extra work in.” Bailey then highlighted two areas where he is challenging Thurman this offseason:
Learn every position on offense.
Tight end responsibilities in the Ohio State offense can vary from player to player at times. Bailey sees value in Thurman as more than just someone who can play one position. He said, “Don’t just be a Y. Be a Y, be an H, know what the Z got.” Tight ends are much more than just players who line up at the end of the offensive line. They can line up in the backfield, in the slot, and even be used in motion as a lead blocker.
For instance, last year, Gee Scott Jr. was primarily a pass catcher who lined up mostly inline but also ranked second on the team in slot alignments. Emeka Egbuka was the primary slot receiver, but Scott lined up there too. He had more snaps as a slot receiver than Brandon Inniss, Jeremiah Smith, or Carnell Tate.
Be a leader.
Thurman is in his third year at Ohio State. That means he knows the culture, has had plenty of time in the weight room, and is being looked upon as someone in practice who can help acclimate the young players and new transfers.
Bailey talked about this, referencing the two true freshmen and the incoming transfer in their tight ends room: “He’s not a young guy anymore, so he’s coaching Nathan [Roberts], [Max] LeBlanc, and those guys and Max [Klare].”
Bailey went on to tell a story about how Thurman was encouraging his teammate Max Klare to finish a drill. He paraphrased what Thurman said, telling the media, “He was like, ‘Hey, you’re an Ohio State tight end—we’re going to be going harder than everyone on the field.’” To Bailey, that was a huge moment. He said Thurman “gets it,” called him a leader, and added that he was “super impressed with him.”
Spring football has been good to Jelani Thurman, who showcases his maturity and leadership as he steps into a pivotal role for Keenan Bailey and within the tight end room. His work ethic will most certainly help him master the offense’s complexities and renew hope that Thurman can rise to the challenges and find himself on the field in more ways this coming season.
With more versatility and greater consistency, he is on track to carve out the impactful role his talent promises in the seasons ahead.