South Carolina Transfer Defensive Back Keenan Nelson Jr. Commits To Ohio State

Ohio State added a defensive back through the portal today when Keenan Nelson Jr. committed to the Buckeyes after leaving South Carolina as a transfer last month.

Nelson played in 15 games with the Gamecocks in his two seasons with the program, totaling 13 tackles, one for a loss and one pass defended, making three starts last season.

He is a redshirt sophomore and has three more years of eligibility left, originally out of Philadelphia St. Joseph’s Prep School where former Buckeyes Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyle McCord both came to Columbus from. Nelson was a four-star prospect out of high school and ranked as the 221^st best player in the 2022 recruiting class by 247Sports composite ranking.

With the talent and depth of the Buckeyes secondary, Nelson won’t slot into a significant role this season, but with so many draft eligible players who will more than likely hear their name called in the 2025 NFL draft, he could play his way into a bigger role.

Ohio State had hosted former Michigan State safety Jaden Mangham for a visit after both Ja’Had Carter and Cedrick Hawkins transferred out of the safety room, and they have found another depth piece to replace them.

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