Tag: Palaie Gaoteote

Two more Ohio State football players won’t be returning for 2023 season

A former captain and former transfer will be moving on to the next phase of life.

The Ohio State football team will be without two more of its members when the 2023 season officially begins. Not because of the transfer portal or NFL declarations, but because it’s time to move on.

It was announced that both Tyler Friday and Palaie Gaoteote will not return for a sixth year of eligibility at the national signing day media conference on Wednesday. Both had injury-plagued careers during their time in Columbus.

Friday was voted a captain this past season after missing all of 2021 with a torn ACL. He was hoping to contribute this season as a backup, but that never materialized. He recorded three tackles in limited playing time.

Gaoteote transferred to Ohio State from USC after being a five-star prospect coming out of high school. The Bishop Gorman graduate could never quite get his footing. He had to wait on the NCAA’s ruling whether he was eligible to play with the Buckeyes. Then he couldn’t shake the injury bug. He played sparingly in two seasons with OSU.

Ohio State has 89 players on its roster, four more than the 85-man scholarship max. Expect a few more moves coming to get that number where it needs to be.

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Three veteran Buckeye defenders decide to return to Ohio State for 2022

A trio of OSU defenders returning for another year provide a big boost for the Ohio State defense going into 2022.

The Ohio State defense got some good news this week when it was reported that Teradja Mitchell, Jerron Cage, and Palaie Gaoteote will all be returning to Columbus for another year. All three were eligible to leave for the NFL, but have decided to run it back one more time.

Even with a talented crop of new recruits coming in, these three returners will provide veteran leadership as well as much-needed depth on the defensive side of the ball. Jim Knowles must be making a big impression on what the defense can look like in the coming season. And clearly, the brotherhood is strong.

Let’s take a look at what each one brings to the table heading into the 2022 season.

Transfer linebacker Palaie Gaoteote sheds black stripe

The USC transfer was cleared to play by the NCAA last week and shed his black stripe this week.

It’s been a long, winding road for Palaie Gaoteote. The Bishop Gorman product spent his first three years in southern California at USC. Injuries kept the former five-star linebacker and No. 1 rated inside linebacker from living up to his full potential.

Maybe needing a fresh start, Gaoteote entered the transfer portal and landed in Columbus. There was some mystery involving his enrollment at Ohio State as he had to pay his own way while waiting on the NCAA to grant him eligibility. Gaoteote was finally cleared to play just a few days ago and it didn’t take him long to lose his black stripe. He even saw some limited action in the loss to Oregon.

“I just want to thank ya’ll for accepting me into the brotherhood. Shoutout H2, Coach Wash for pushing me every day. Love you guys like my own brothers. Go Bucks!”

Gaoteote came to OSU early in the summer and has been practicing with the team, but not knowing what his fate would be in the hands of the NCAA. Being ruled immediately eligible, Gaoteote could add some much-needed roster depth at a thin and inexperienced linebacker position.

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Ohio State linebacker Palaie Gaoteote ruled immediately eligible

What a very optimistic turn after just 24 hours. Let’s see how long it takes Gaoteote to get on the field.

Well, that didn’t take long.

Just one day after Ohio State head coach Ryan Day stated that USC transfer linebacker Palaie Gaoteote had been ruled ineligible by the NCAA and his transfer exception denied, we get word and confirmation that Gaoteote has now been ruled immediately eligible.

Of course, this came after OSU clarified that it was still working through matters with the NCAA and after the Columbus Dispatch learned that the petition had not been denied and was still pending a decision from the NCAA.

Now, Gaoteote, who had been paying his own way to Ohio State but practicing with the team while the process played out, can get on the field according to Ohio State and NCAA spokesperson Michelle Brutlag Hosick.

It is unclear where Gaoteote stands on the depth chart and how ready he is for game action. Though he has been practicing with Ohio State through fall camp, there was uncertainty with the linebacker position. Both Teradja Mitchell and Tommy Eichenberg got starts there last week, and we’ll have to see how the news of Gaoteote being eligible impacts the rotation.

Ohio State hosts the Oregon Ducks at Noon on Saturday.

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Palaie Gaoteote’s appeal to play this season denied by NCAA

Bad news up front, but sounds like it’s not done yet.

USC transfer Palaie Gaoteote transferred to Ohio State with hopes that he would be eligible to play this season. As time dragged on though, you got the feeling that his appeal to play immediately could hit a snag.

The NCAA has implemented a one-time allowance for players to transfer, but Ohio State has continued to communicate that Gaoteote’s situation does not fit the rule and that he is dealing with a separate eligibility waiver. We’re still unsure of what that is, but OSU had remained optimistic that he would be eligible to play.

“As of right now, we got word that he got denied,” Ohio State head coach Day told reporters Thursday. “So we’re gonna try to figure out what’s next. It’s very, very disappointing that he wasn’t granted an opportunity to play this season, so we’ll kind of regroup and see what’s next here.”

What appears to be next is an appeal. According to Eleven Warriors, an Ohio State spokesman confirmed that the program is still working to see if they can get Gaoteote eligible later in the season.

“Palaie is currently not eligible to play but Ohio State is continuing to work with the NCAA on this petition,” Ohio State told Eleven Warriors. Additionally, according to Letterman Row, that appeal decision could come as early as next week.

As it stands, Ohio State is breaking in some new blood at linebacker after losing the top four on the depth chart last season. The group played well last week against Minnesota, but Gaoteote would add some much-needed experience and depth.

This is clearly not the news Ohio State wanted or was expecting, but it’s not over yet. It’s very curious how the NCAA can deny a waiver request in today’s environment, but we clearly don’t know the full extent of what this particular situation is.

We’ll bring you more news as it becomes available.

 

USC transfer Palaie Gaoteote, paying his own way at Ohio State, awaiting transfer eligibility

Some confirmation from Ohio State coach Ryan Day was finally received concerning USC transfer linebacker Palaie Gaoteote.

In some ways, it was the worst kept secret on the Ohio State beat. Former USC linebacker Palaie Gaoteote was added to the student directory recently, and was also spotted hanging out with the linebackers in some social media posts.

So, unless there was a mistake at the OSU registrar’s office, or someone created a hologram of the former 5-star prospect, the writing was on the wall, ceilings, and all four corners of the Buckeye football room that he was at least at Ohio State and participating in team activities.

But, there had not been confirmation from Ohio State until Friday. While speaking at Big Ten media days, head coach Ryan Day confirmed that Gaoteote is indeed in the mix.

“He’s paying his own way right now,” Day told reporters Friday. “And then we’re going to hear from the NCAA about his eligibility here maybe in a few weeks — and then we’ll go from there.”

The Buckeyes had their attention on a transfer at the linebacker spot all along. With the top four in the rotation moving on because of graduation, it left a big hole in terms of experience and depth. Ohio State seemingly felt good about its chances with Tennessee transfer Henry To’oTo’o, but he picked Alabama. Once that happened, OSU quickly turned to Gaoteote who seemed to be intrigued.

And that’s where we are today.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day confirms USC transfer Palaie Gaoteote at OSU
Sep 29, 2018; Tucson, AZ, USA; Southern California Trojans linebacker Palaie Gaoteote IV (1) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Some may be wondering why Gaoteote isn’t immediately eligible because of the one-time transfer rules that are now in play, but Day says this one doesn’t fit that model. “This is not that,” Day said. “This is more of an eligibility situation.”

So for now, all we can tell you is stay tuned. It appears that both Ohio State and Gaoteote are on the same page with his ability to add something to the Buckeye linebacking corps immediately, but we’ll have to wait a few weeks to see if he’ll get that chance this year.

Your move NCAA.

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Former 5-star USC linebacker Palaie Gaoteote appears to now have name in Ohio State student directory

There has been no official word from Ohio State, but USC linebacker Palaie Gaoteote’s name is now appearing in the OSU student directory.

Well, what do we have here? Thanks to a little detective work, it appears as though former USC linebacker Palaie Gaoteote is now appearing in the Ohio State student directory. The discovery appears to have first been made by Buckeye Scoop.

For weeks now, it had been assumed that Ohio State was in the running for the former five-star talent. Once Tennessee linebacker Henry To’o To’o spurned OSU for Alabama through the transfer portal, the word on the street was that the Buckeyes began to turn up the heat on swaying Gaoteote to transfer to the Buckeye program. Gaoteote entered his name into the transfer portal last December and was thought to be leaning towards Texas before Ohio State aggressively entered the picture.

If the literal writing on the OSU student directory is true, Gaoteote would provide some experience and talent to a very young linebacking corps this coming season. The 6-foot, 2-inch, 250-pound junior out of Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas didn’t quite fulfill the promise his recruiting accolades said he would, but he was still a solid starter in the second level of the defense for the Trojans.

We must stress that there has been no official word from Ohio State on the transfer of Gaoteote, but we’ll be on top of it once anything more concrete beomes available.

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Ohio State in the running for a former five-star USC linebacker in the portal

Palaie Gaoteote was recruited by Ohio State in high school but chose USC. Could he make his way back to Columbus via the transfer portal?

Ohio State is pursuing another transfer portal player looking to make a move. After missing out on Henry To’o To’o, the Buckeyes have turned their attention to the West Coast.

Former five-star linebacker, Palaie Gaoteote has spent the last three years at USC but has spent much of his time on the sidelines due to injuries. Gaoteote has 14 career starts but was only able to play in two games last season after sustaining a concussion. In his three years as a Trojan, the middle linebacker has racked up 105 tackles, including two sacks.

When Gaoteote first entered the transfer portal, it was thought to be a lock that he landed in Texas. Now it seems that OSU is starting to gain some traction.

One key piece in Gaoteote’s recruitment might lie is within the defensive line. Gaoteote played his high school football at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, the same high school as Buckeye defensive tackle, Haskell Garrett — and also famously former quarterback Tate Martell, but we digress.

Should Gaoteote choose to come to Columbus, it would add depth to a thin unit. Gaoteote would be competing with Dallas Gant for playing time at middle linebacker unless the coaching staff decides to shuffle things around among the group.

Ohio State football 2022 recruiting commitment tracker

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Report: Texas is expected to land USC transfer linebacker Palaie Gaoteote

Throughout the offseason, Steve Sarkisian’s staff has been busy plucking top players out of the NCAA transfer portal.

The Longhorns are expected to land another linebacker from the NCAA transfer portal. Continue reading “Report: Texas is expected to land USC transfer linebacker Palaie Gaoteote”

Report: Texas is expected to land USC transfer linebacker Palaie Gaoteote

Throughout the offseason, Steve Sarkisian’s staff has been busy plucking top players out of the NCAA transfer portal.

The Longhorns are expected to land another linebacker from the NCAA transfer portal. Continue reading “Report: Texas is expected to land USC transfer linebacker Palaie Gaoteote”