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Former Buckeyes LB Nigel Glover transfers back to Northwestern

IMG_7408by: Andy Backstrom06/17/24andybackstrom
Ohio State helmet by Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

COLUMBUS — Nigel Glover has transferred back to Northwestern after spending last season at Ohio State.

Glover entered the transfer portal in April following the spring season.

The four-star linebacker from Northmont in Dayton, Ohio, originally signed with Northwestern, where he was the program’s top-rated signee in the 2023 cycle. But after the Wildcats’ hazing scandal and the firing of then-Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, Glover transferred to Ohio State.

An NCAA rule that permits players to leave a program after a coaching change afforded him immediately eligibility to play for the Buckeyes in 2023. Except, Glover didn’t record a single snap last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

“We’ve known about Nigel for a long time,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said last summer. “And, really, it’s his attitude — the way that he wants to improve, that he’s he’s so into the X’s and O’s. He’s that kind of kid. He’s the kind of kid that’s coachable and wants to learn.”

Despite his four-star rating, though, Glover found himself climbing an uphill battle to playing time at Ohio State — both in the short- and long-term. Joining the team in August, right at the start of training camp, already put him behind the curve, especially compared to the defensive players who early enrolled last season.

Then he had to learn Knowles’ system. But, really, it’s the crowded depth chart that proved most difficult for Glover to overcome, especially when only two players start in the Buckeyes’ base 4-2-5 defense.

Cody Simon is all but penciled in at MIKE linebacker this season. Arvell Reese and Gabe Powers are competing to back up Simon. And then C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles are both in line to see significant snaps at the WILL spot.

Plus, the Buckeyes brought in a pair of higher-rated 2024 linebackers, true freshmen Garrett Stover and Payton Pierce.

Glover will link up with now-full-time Northwestern head coach David Braun, who led the Wildcats to an 8-5 season, including a Las Vegas Bowl victory, while serving as the interim.

Glover will also play under recently-promoted Northwestern linebackers coach Tim McGarigle, who now doubles as the team’s defensive coordinator. McGarigle is the Wildcats’ all-time leading tackler and ranks second in FBS history in all-time tackles with 545 stops.

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