Scarlet Sunrise: Chargers sign former Ohio State track & field athlete, club football player Praise Olatoke
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Chargers sign former Ohio State track & field athlete, club football player Praise Olatoke
Praise Olatoke is getting a shot at the NFL. The Los Angeles Chargers signed him to play wide receiver Friday.
Olatoke was born in Nigeria and raised in Scotland, but, at Ohio State, he ran track & field and played club football.
Olatoke earned first-team All-Big Ten honors during the 2022 outdoor track and field season. That season, he ran the 100-meter in 10.27 seconds during the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.
He stands 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. His only American football experience came at Ohio State, where he joined the club football team in 2022. In his lone season with the team, he caught seven passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns.
Olatoke’s now part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program (IPP), a program created in 2017 to afford international athletes of all backgrounds opportunities to earn NFL roster spots. Starting in 2024, every NFL team is eligible to fill a 17th roster spot with an international player on its practice squad.
An international practice squad player can now be elevated to the active roster a maximum of three times in one season. NFL teams can sign international players through the IPP or scout international prospects on their own.
As of last year, the IPP had contributed to more than half of the league signing international players to their offseason or practice squad rosters. Washington Commanders defensive end Efe Obada, Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata and current free agent fullback Jakob Johnson all started their NFL careers through the IPP and have all played north of 1,000 snaps so far.
NOTE: This story has been updated to include the recently-updated rules for the NFL’s International Pathway Program.
Patrick Gurd, Gee Scott Jr. seizing leadership roles in Buckeyes tight end room
With two-time Ohio State captain Cade Stover gone, fifth-year veterans Patrick Gurd and Gee Scott Jr. are stepping up to lead the Buckeyes’ tight end room in 2024.
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“They’ve always been some sort of leaders,” second-year Ohio State tight end Jelani Thurman said of Scott and Gurd.
“Of course we had Cade last year. And once Cade left, they just took that role and made it better. They just kept on improving.”
For the full story, go here.
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What commitment of Quincy Porter means for Ohio State
Four-star Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic wide receiver Quincy Porter committed to the Buckeyes hours before he was supposed to be taking an official visit to Michigan.
Porter has now shut down his recruitment and is the second New Jersey wideout in the 2025 cycle to pledge to Ohio State so far, joining four-star Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic wide receiver De’Zie Jones.
Porter is the No. 31 overall prospect, and the No. 5 wide receiver, in the 2025 class, according to On3.
To learn the full impact of Porter’s commitment, head on over here.
Counting Down
Buckeyes vs. Akron: 77 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 168 days
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