#16
Keenan Nelson Jr.
Returning to Ohio State for 2026
Keenan Nelson Jr.
Keenan Nelson Jr. arrived at Ohio State from South Carolina. The receipt on tape: 4 tackles against North Carolina, Week 1, 2023.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- portal record
- game log
Career Arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
South Carolina
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023South Carolina5-7HC: Shane Beamer · Balanced
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Ryan Day
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | South Carolina | 9 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 9 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
How he plays
2026 Outlook
Ohio State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Ohio State
Returning around him
- 11 Ohio State players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -20 net (17 in / 37 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Ohio State · Last season: 12-2 (AP #3) · Talent rank #3 · 2026 recruiting class #4
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology