Michigan Linebacker Joey Velazquez Has Transferred To Ohio State

Michigan graduate linebacker Joey Velazquez has transferred to Ohio State.

Ohio State has confirmed that Velazquez has walked on to the team and is currently working out with the Buckeyes.

Velazquez is originally from Columbus, Ohio, and played his high school ball at De Sales. He played both football and baseball at Michigan but per an OSU spokesman will only be playing football for the Buckeyes.

Velazquez, who entered the transfer portal in December, was a member of Michigan’s 2019 recruiting class. He played in one game as a true freshman, then did not see action in 2020. As a third-year player in 2021, he appeared in eight games on special teams and two on defense, recording two tackles and recovering a fumble.

As a fourth-year player in 2022, he saw action in five games at linebacker and 11 games on special teams. He finished the season with six tackles.

Velazquez did not any action in 2023.

Michigan football players transferring to Ohio State isn’t unheard of, surprisingly. Offensive lineman Justin Boren transferred to OSU in 2008, though he had to sit that season out before playing in 2009.

According to Ohio State historian Jack Park, Boren was the first player to “switch sides” in the OSU/UM rivalry since quarterback Howard Yerges Jr. and center J.T. White started out at Ohio State, then fought in World War II, then played at Michigan following the war.

The most recent player to make the move was defensive lineman Chris Rock, who transferred from Michigan and walked on at Ohio State in 2013. Like Velazquez, Rock also attended Columbus De Sales High School.

As a high school senior at De Sales, Velazquez recorded 101 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, seven forced fumbles, and six pass breakups. He was a three-star prospect who was ranked the No. 61 safety in the nation and the No. 38 player in Ohio.

[Joey Velazquez photo courtesy of the Michigan department of athletics.]

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