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NCAA makes eligibility decision on Ohio State transfer linebacker Palaie Gaoteote
By Nick Schultz
Published:
Ohio State’s defense just got a big boost.
USC transfer linebacker Palaie Gaoteote is eligible immediately, the NCAA ruled on Friday.
https://twitter.com/brdispatch/status/1436440120975048704
The news comes just one day after the Buckeyes thought his waiver for eligibility had been denied by the NCAA.
Gaoteote had been dealing with eligibility issues since transferring to Ohio State and had been paying his own way through classes since June. Despite not being eligible for games, he was able to practice with the Buckeyes.
Gaoteote started 14 games at USC over 3 years, totaling 105 tackles and 2 sacks over that span. The former 5-star recruit only played in 2 games for the Trojans in 2020 and went into the transfer portal in December.
It’s unclear what Gaoteote’s status is for Ohio State’s game against Oregon this weekend, but Buckeye fans can expect to see him in red and white at some point after Friday’s ruling.
Ohio State and Oregon kick off at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Nick Schultz is a columnist and breaking news writer for Saturday Tradition. A 2020 graduate of Loyola Chicago, he covered the Ramblers' 2018 Final Four run from beginning to end and has worked at NBC Sports Chicago. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickSchultz_7.