Jelani Thurman

Position:
Tight End
Height:
6-6
Weight:
250
Hometown:
Fairburn, Ga.
Last School:
Langston Hughes
Year:
Junior

Follow on Social Media
Instagram: @jelani_wrld
Twitter: @jelani3345

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