Ohio State 4-star TE commit Jelani Thurman goes up for touchdown
Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes four-star tight end Jelani Thurman is playing for a state championship against Gainesville (Ga.) on Friday night. The Ohio State commit made an early impact.
With Langston Hughes near the end zone, Thurman ran a route down the left sideline. He proceeded to rise up and reel in a pass from 2024 four-star quarterback Air Noland for a touchdown.
Thurman is the No. 108 overall prospect and No. 4 tight end in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 6 player in Georgia.
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The 6-foot-6, 225-pound pass catcher has been committed to the Buckeyes since July 17. However, Auburn is pushing for Thurman’s pledge, as he has visited the Tigers four times this season.
Thurman has an On3 NIL Valuation of $115K. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.
Jelani Thurman On3 Scouting Summary
The following is the On3 Scouting Summary for Jelani Thurman:
“Tall, long tight end with one of the larger catch radiuses in the 2023 cycle. Measured at 6-foot-6, 227 pounds with a 6-foot-11 wing-span prior to his senior season. Has elite length for the position, with very long arms. The length shows up by way of the large catch radius. Has the reach to attack the ball at its highest point or scoop up low throws off the ground. Shows strong hands to finish through contact in contested situations. Makes high level grabs at a rate that is among the best of 2023 tight ends. Moves well, showing the quickness to separate though he’s still developing as a route-runner.
“Turned in a strong performance in 1-on-1’s at Under Armour’s Atlanta camp. Also plays basketball, where he shows the ability to throw down some impressive dunks. Plays in-line at times for his high school and shows a willingness as a blocker. Needs to continue adding to his lower body strength which will aid the ability to break tackles after the catch. Both parents were professional athletes – father Odell Thurman was a linebacker at Georgia and a second round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals. Mother Kara Braxton played basketball at Georgia and went onto be a WNBA all-star.”