Ohio State Lands Northwestern Transfer Linebacker Nigel Glover

After taking three visits last week to Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio State, Northwestern transfer linebacker Nigel Glover knew where he wanted to be.

The true freshman committed to the Buckeyes on Tuesday, a few days after wrapping up an official visit to Columbus.

“I grew up an Ohio State fan, so did my family,” Glover told Eleven Warriors Tuesday. “I like coach Jim Knowles a lot and coach James Laurinaitis. They’re great people and they’re the best at what they do. I believe they’ll be very successful at developing me at the next level. Playing in The Shoe would be great, I went to many games as a kid and now being on the field instead of the stands, that will feel crazy.” 

Glover is expected to join the team soon and be a part of this year's roster, though seeing as he's getting a late start in Columbus, it's a good bet to expect him to take a redshirt year. While he was never formally offered by OSU as a recruit, Glover had visited OSU several times in the past few years and had a familiarity with the Buckeyes.

“I’ll be in the film room a lot,” Glover said of getting to work with OSU this week. “Coming into camp the week of, I just have to be a film junkie and get everything down. Work is work, so as long as I’m working I’m good.”

HME @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/iC3FvbSPPa

— Nigel Glover (@Nglover_) August 1, 2023

The Clayton, Ohio native, who was only at Northwestern briefly as a summer enrollee, entered the transfer portal on July 17 following Pat Fitzgerald’s firing amid the fallout of the Northwestern hazing scandal. He's eligible to play this upcoming season because the NCAA allows players to enter the portal for 30 days after a coaching change. Glover, who was the Wildcats' top-ranked player in their 2023 class and a four-star prospect, still has all four years of eligibility remaining.

“They sold me on what they do to develop players and they sold me on how they do it,” Glover said of why he chose OSU. “That really stood out to me. The genuine care they have for their players stood out as well. Also C.J. Hicks, he was showing me some stuff and you know I like how they teach their players. They’re just really intriguing.”

“I like coach Jim Knowles a lot and coach James Laurinaitis. They’re great people and they’re the best at what they do.”– Nigel Glover on why he’s transferring to Ohio State

Glover become an important add for the Buckeyes after OSU missed out on landing 2024 four-star linebackers Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Edwin Spillman, as the 6-foot-3, 210-pound prospect will give OSU further depth at that position for years to come. Given Glover's addition, it's likely the Buckeyes will be content to take two linebackers in the 2024 cycle with Garrett Stover and Payton Pierce already committed to OSU.

Having grown up an OSU fan, Glover couldn't help but take a moment to think about his younger self as he weighed his decision.

“When I was young, I didn’t play football for any other reason besides I loved it and I wanted to be a Buckeye,” Glover said. “As I got older and into the recruiting process, I learned there’s no emotions in business. But if I become a Buckeye, I know my younger self would be proud.”

Glover played both safety and linebacker at Northmont High School, but he's expected to play primarily at linebacker for the Buckeyes. Considering he played safety for a good chunk of his prep career, Glover's coverage skills are more advanced than most traditional freshman linebackers and he should be able to handle covering tight ends and running backs. 

Glover is also a sound tackler who takes smart angles to wrap up ballcarriers. He'll need to add weight to be a full-time linebacker at Ohio State, but he has a frame capable of doing so. Glover will likely need to get more accustomed to playing in the box and shedding blocks every play in run defense as he goes through his first year as a Buckeye.

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles loves Glover's versatility but has told Glover he sees him playing Will linebacker at Ohio State. 

“I think having played safety will make me more comfortable in open field tackles,” Glover said. “I have a lot of confidence in my ability to do that, just because I did it so many times in high school. I covered a lot in high school, so I'm confident in my coverage abilities. I think moving down closer to the ball will be good for me.”

Glover joins a list of transfer additions this offseason that also includes former Ole Miss cornerback Davison Igbinosun, Notre Dame wide receiver-turned-cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr., Syracuse safety Ja’Had Carter, Ole Miss defensive tackle Tywone Malone, San Diego State offensive tackle Josh Simmons, Louisiana-Monroe offensive lineman Victor Cutler Jr., Oregon State quarterback Tristan Gebbia and Arizona State long snapper John Ferlmann.

With Ohio State already at 85 scholarship players, Glover will start his Ohio State career as a walk-on before going on scholarship in January.