Ohio State TE Jelani Thurman plans to enter NCAA transfer portal
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Ohio State tight end Jelani Thurman plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, his reps at Rosenhaus Sports told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Thurman spent three years at Ohio State, but preserved a redshirt as a true freshman in 2023. In 2025, he totaled seven receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown as the Buckeyes looked to repeat as national champions.
All told, Thurman had 13 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns during his time in Columbus. News of his decision to enter the portal came shortly after Ohio State’s season ended in the Cotton Bowl against Miami.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.
The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
Jelani Thurman played high school football at Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 117 overall player from the 2023 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.
With Wednesday’s loss, Ohio State finished the season 12-2. The Buckeyes went 12-0 during the regular season, including a victory over Michigan for the first time since 2019, but fell to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship to enter the College Football Playoff as the No. 2 seed. That meant they still sealed a bye to the Cotton Bowl, where Miami awaited.
It was all Miami in the first half of Wednesday’s College Football playoff quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl. The Hurricanes went up 14-0 at halftime as the defense shined. Ohio State totaled -3 rush yards through two quarters, and Miami notably got a pick-six from Keionte Scott after he jumped the route on a screen pass.
However, Ohio State made a strong statement to start the third quarter. The Buckeyes marched down the field on an 11-play, 82-yard drive capped by a Bo Jackson touchdown to get on the board. Then, they rolled the dice on fourth down and scored when Julian Sayin found Jeremiah Smith for the score, cutting the Miami lead to 17-14.
But Miami stayed the course, leaning on a stout defense that made life difficult for Sayin and the Ohio State offense. The Hurricanes eventually forced a punt, which gave them the ball back with 5:53 to play. That gave Carson Beck and the offense a chance to run down the clock, and the drive ended with a rushing touchdown from CharMar Brown to make it a 24-14 ballgame with less than a minute to go.
From there, Sayin went back out to try and make something happen. But he threw his second interception of the game, which meant Miami sealed the win in the Cotton Bowl. As a result, the ‘Canes punched their ticket to the Fiesta Bowl for the College Football Playoff semifinal.
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