Ohio State fell short of the top transfer tight end goal. </p><div><p>
Former Maryland tight end CJ Dippre narrowed his final two choices to Ohio and Alabama last week, but ultimately chose the Crimson Tide on Tuesday.
Dipre, who visited both Tuscaloosa and Columbus before making the decision, was tracked in both programs due to his ability as both a pass catcher and a run blocker. In his sophomore season at Maryland, the 6-foot-5-inch, 260-pound tight end caught 30 passes for 314 yards and scored three touchdowns.
He particularly showed promise in November's Terrapins game against Ohio State at College Park, catching four passes for 30 yards and scoring during Maryland's 43–30 loss to the Buckeyes. touched down.
Dipre's choice of Alabama has left Mitch Rossi running out of qualifications and starter Cade Stover considering whether to make it into the 2023 NFL Draft, leaving Ohio State's tight end list next season. Depth is an issue.
Ohio does not necessarily need to add a transfer tight end if the portal does not have another tight end that is considered a definite upgrade. Zee Scott Jr., Joe Royer, Sam Hart and Bennett Christian are already tight ends on the OSU roster and will compete for bigger roles next season. Signed star prospect Jelani Thurman next season as the second tight end in the recruit class for 2023, according to 247Sports' combined rankings.
But given that these tight ends combined have played less than 200 snaps at Ohio State this season, there's reason the Buckeyes will continue to explore transfer options, especially if Stover moves.
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