Former Buckeyes defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste commits to Notre Dame
COLUMBUS — Javontae Jean-Baptiste was a multi-year contributor on the Ohio State defensive line.
Now he’s set to face the Buckeyes this fall.
Jean-Baptiste, who entered the transfer portal after the Peach Bowl defeat to Georgia, committed to Notre Dame on Friday.
Jean-Baptiste spent five years at Ohio State and has one season of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer at Notre Dame. He’ll be coached by former Buckeyes linebackers coach Al Washington, who is now the defensive line coach for the Fighting Irish.
Jean-Baptiste played nine snaps in the Buckeyes’ Peach Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal defeat. Most notably, he teamed up with fellow pass rusher Zach Harrison to bring down Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett IV on a critical third-quarter third down.
The New Jersey native registered 250 total defensive snaps this season, according to Pro Football Focus, 63 fewer than he logged in 2021. But he did clock out with personal best PFF grades in every major category: run defense (72.8), tackling (76.5), pass rush (78.5) and coverage (62.8).
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Jean-Baptiste ranked third on the team in 2022 with four sacks. He accounted for half that total against Toledo, adding a forced fumble in that game as well. His most valuable performance might have come against Iowa, though, as he tallied 1.5 sacks against a Hawkeyes team that was hanging around in the first half.
He never had more than 1.5 sacks in a season at Ohio State before this year. He also finished the 2022 campaign with a career-high 19 total tackles, including nine solos. But the transfer portal became a likely destination as younger Buckeyes began to see the field alongside him — and sometimes, ahead of him.
The 6-foot-5, 249-pound Jean-Baptiste is a former four-star recruit from Bergen Catholic in New Jersey. He calls Spring Valley, New York, home and was the No. 23 linebacker in the 2018 class, according to the On3 Consensus rankings.
Now he’ll face Ohio State in the fall. Javontae Jean-Baptiste has found a new home: Notre Dame.
