Ohio State Freshman Tight End Jelani Thurman Becomes Second Member of 2023 Class to Shed Black Stripe

After Ohio State's 11th spring practice on Friday, the 6-foot-6, 253-pound tight end followed in Carnell Tate's footsteps and became the second member of the 2023 recruiting class to shed his black stripe, making him a fully-fledged member of The Brotherhood.

the TE room just got better. welcome to the brotherhood, @jelani3345#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/ADtuwjrSqW

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 7, 2023

"He's working hard," Day said of Thurman after the practice. "He's out here every day, shows toughness. He kind of got banged up a little bit, but he continues to practice. He has a very high ceiling."

A native of Fairburn, Georgia, Thurman was the nation's No. 4 tight end and No. 104 player overall in 2023, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He amassed over 1,000 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Langston Hughes, including 36 receptions for 582 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior – a year his high school had a perfect 15-0 record and won a 6A state title win.

Beyond the offensive skill he displayed at the high school level, Thurman also showed tremendous versatility with impressive performances on the defensive side of the ball, collecting 74 tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks and four pass breakups in his four-year career.

As for Thurman's career at Ohio State, it's off to a great start. However, there is still work to do for the true freshman to earn snaps for the Buckeyes' offense. Cade Stover returns to Columbus for his fifth season in 2023 and is the clear-cut starter in the room. Behind him, Gee Scott Jr., Joe Royer and Bennett Christian all possess more experience than Thurman in the program and will continue their battle for a defined spot in the three-deep.

That said, Thurman's primary goal for the rest of this spring and throughout the summer and fall will be to stack days with each practice, scrimmage and workout, as Ryan Day has frequently mentioned over the past few weeks.

Along with Thurman, true freshman safety Malik Hartford and sophomore walk-on running back Chase Brecht shed their black stripes. Overall, nine Ohio State players have added scarlet to their helmets this spring. Their names are featured in the chart below: