The Buckeyes may have secured their final transfer of the spring window when former South Carolina defensive back Keenan Nelson, Jr. announced his commitment to Ohio State last week. Nelson is a redshirt sophomore who started four games in his career with the Gamecocks. His first start came in a bowl game against Notre Dame his true freshman season.
He started that game at nickel, just as he did the first two games of the 2023 season. Nelson was eventually replaced at nickel, but remained in the two-deep. He started a game at free safety later in the season when regular starter DQ Smith was serving a first-half suspension following a targeting ejection the week before.
As a high school recruit, Nelson was a four-star prospect out of St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia. That is the same school that has produced former Buckeyes Marvin Harrison, Jr. and Kyle McCord, as well as current defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Nelson was the No. 17 safety in the 2022 recruiting class per the 247Sports Composite and the No. 221 player overall. He signed with South Carolina over offers from Penn State, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee, and others.
What To Like
Any time you can earn a start as a true freshman in the SEC, that is somewhat significant, so that alone is a good sign. Of course, starts in bowl games happen for a variety of reasons, but if you make the most of it, then circumstances don’t really matter.
Keenan Nelson (6-1 195) opened his redshirt freshman season last year as the Gamecocks’ starting nickel, but he was only able to hold onto the job for two weeks. He finished last season with nine tackles, one tackle for loss, and a blocked punt, which he also returned for a touchdown.
To better understand why Ohio State wanted Nelson out of the portal, you only need to look back on what he has done. He was a high-level recruit who saw the field as a very young player and has played nickel, deep safety, and is involved in special teams. Plus he has three years of eligibility remaining.
There is a level of versatility here that allows Ohio State to fill a number of possible vacancies. You can see his performance at free safety (No. 18) in the clips below.
The Potential
With three years of eligibility remaining, it may be more interesting to see where Keenan Nelson is next year rather than this year. How much can he grow this year in a new environment with new coaches? Nelson has good size and a host of abilities, but hasn’t been able to put them all together just yet. That’s fairly typical for a player who is just entering year three.
Nelson’s experience at nickel makes him an intriguing possibility down the road. He is listed the same exact size as current Ohio State nickels Jordan Hancock and Lorenzo Styles, so he certainly fits the mold of what Jim Knowles and secondary coach Tim Walton want at the position.
The game against Notre Dame is an interesting example of the difficulties of playing nickel. The Irish employ a physical offense that forced Nelson close to the line of scrimmage throughout the game. He had to be as much a Sam linebacker as a nickel back at times. That’s a tough ask for a true freshman.
The Expectations
Adding Keenan Nelson became a much larger priority when senior safety Ja’Had Carter decided to enter the portal following spring ball. It is probably not a coincidence that much of the allure of adding Carter from Syracuse a year ago beyond his starting experience and production was the fact that he played both nickel, deep safety, and special teams. Those roles also match Nelson’s experience at South Carolina.
The Buckeyes aren’t looking for Nelson to be a starter this year, but with their history of injuries at safety the last few years, they can’t ignore the possibility. It’s not just the starting spots that are spoken for, because the backup jobs may be as well. Ohio State seems pretty well set at nickel with Jordan Hancock, Jermaine Mathews, and Lorenzo Styles, Jr. The larger need is at safety where sophomore Malik Hartford is the lone returner with any experience.
True freshman Jaylen McClain and redshirt freshman Jayden Bonsu both played well this spring, but can they hold Nelson off in fall camp?
The Bottom Line
Bringing Keenan Nelson in this spring provides some insurance for this season, but the real value of this addition may not be felt until next year and beyond. Nelson doesn’t have to be patient in waiting to make an impact, however, because there will always be opportunities on special teams — which he has taken advantage of before.
Nelson chose Ohio State with his eyes wide open, so he knows what he’s walking into. He can’t be expecting anything other than what he earns. With the constant and concerted effort by the Buckeye coaches to play depth, there will be playing time available for those who earn it. And with the injury history of the position and possible desire to manage workloads, Nelson’s experience is a plus.
Previous Closer Look Editions
Quarterback Will Howard | Running Back Quinshon Judkins | Tight End Will Kacmarek | Center Seth McLaughlin | Defensive Tackle Eric Mensah | Linebacker Payton Pierce | Safety Leroy Roker | Safety Caleb Downs
[Keenan Nelson, Jr. header photo courtesy of the South Carolina Dept. of Athletics.]
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