Ohio State has gone into the transfer portal to add secondary depth, as former South Carolina safety Keenan Nelson Jr. committed to the Buckeyes on Friday morning.
A four-star recruit in the Class of 2022, Nelson played high school football at St. Joe’s Prep in Philadelphia, the same program the Buckeyes recruited to sign Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyle McCord. Nelson had 13 tackles, one tackle for a loss and one pass deflection in two seasons with the Gamecocks. He played in four games and preserved a redshirt in 2022 and started three games in 2023. He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
#BIA 🅾️ pic.twitter.com/ScOnXbuHgF
— Keenan Nelson Jr (@KeenanNelsonJr1) May 17, 2024
Nelson joins a safety group that doesn’t lack top-end talent but needed some depth behind starters Lathan Ransom and Caleb Downs. He will give Ohio State seven scholarship safeties with Downs, Ransom, Jayden Bonsu, Jaylen McClain, Leroy Roker and Malik Hartford.
His commitment also pushes Ohio State’s unofficial scholarship count to 81, four shy of the FBS limit of 85, so the Buckeyes have room to add more players if they want.
Under new safeties coach Matt Guerrieri, Nelson will be battling with Hartford and Bonsu for a spot in the second-team rotation, with freshmen McClain and Roker rounding out the depth chart.
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(Photo: Jim Dedmon / USA Today)
