Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

Son of Buckeye legend commits to Ohio State as preferred walk-on

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

The son of an Ohio State legend has decided to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Jalen Pace, son of former Buckeyes star offensive lineman Orlando Pace, announced his commitment to the program on Tuesday. He will be heading to Columbus as a preferred walk-on. Jalen is a linebacker and a member of the 2021 recruiting class.

“I would like to thank my family, friends and coaches who have helped me become the man that I am today,” Jalen wrote on Twitter. “I am very excited to announce that I am following my dreams and will continue my academic and athletic journey at THE Ohio State University.”

Jalen comes to Ohio State out of St. Louis. He held an offer from Dayton, which competes at the FCS level. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound linebacker joins a Buckeyes recruiting class that was at the top of the B1G and finished second nationally.

Orlando was a stellar offensive lineman for the Buckeyes in the 1990s. He was a two-time All-American, a two-time winner of the Lombardi Award, a two-time B1G Offensive Lineman of the Year, a Heisman Trophy finalist, a B1G Offensive Player of the Year and the B1G Most Valuable Player.

In 1997, Orlando was selected by the St. Louis Rams with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. He went on to enjoy a 13-year NFL career and was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and a Super Bowl champion.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB