Keenan Bailey Wouldn't Play Jelani Thurman

Jelani Thurman spent three seasons buried in Ohio State's tight end room under position coach Keenan Bailey — just 13 catches for 144 yards in 34 games, and no clear path to more playing time in 2026. So he transferred to Bill Belichick's North Carolina. In his very first game, he torched TCU for 4 catches, 94 yards, and a 73-yard explosive play, already topping his entire final season at Ohio State in one afternoon. In this episode, we break down: - Why Thurman never got on the field consistently under Keenan Bailey at Ohio State - What changed instantly for him in Bill Belichick and Bobby Petrino's offense at North Carolina - A full play-by-play breakdown of his debut performance against TCU - How this fits into Belichick's broader transfer portal strategy of targeting former blue-chip recruits who never got their shot elsewhere - What this means for Ohio State's tight end room moving forward, and whether this was a missed opportunity for the Buckeyes Did Ohio State let a real talent walk out the door? We give our verdict. Follow the show for more Ohio State and college football transfer portal coverage all season long.