Palaie Gaoteote will be back in 2022.
After transferring to Ohio State from USC ahead of the 2021 season, Gaoteote will play another season with the Buckeyes as he has elected to return to college football for a fifth season, Ryan Day announced on Monday.
Gaoteote played rather sparingly for Ohio State in 2021 after he was initially ruled ineligible by the NCAA entering the season and as a result, didn't get many reps in preseason camp.
Of the four scholarship linebackers remaining on the roster at the end of the season, Gaoteote saw the fewest number of snaps, totaling 78 reps across eight game appearances. He totaled nine tackles, one tackle for loss, half a sack and a fumble recovery.
Steele Chambers, Cody Simon and Tommy Eichenberg are all among the returning inside linebackers for Ohio State in 2022, and the Buckeyes brought in Arizona State running back DeaMonte Trayanum out of the transfer portal to transition into a role at linebacker moving forward as well. Palaie Gaoteote, who transferred in from USC last summer, will also be back for the Buckeyes.
