Ohio State made an extremely late addition to their 2023 recruiting class with the commitment of in-state linebacker, Nigel Glover.
After initially signing with Northwestern out of Northmont High School in Clayton, the 6-foot, 3-inch, 210-pound linebacker entered the transfer portal after head coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired amid hazing allegations inside the program.
What was Northwestern’s loss was Ohio State’s gain, as Glover joins Arvell Reese as the only other linebacker to enter the program this year. I took some time to review Glover’s senior season highlights and break down his skill set. Find out below what to expect from the Buckeyes’ newest player.
Good instincts
weeks 1-4 senior sznhttps://t.co/3SoZoyn6u2
— Nigel Glover (@Nglover_) October 2, 2022
Scout’s view
For linebackers, they need the ability to diagnose and then react quickly and Glover shows those skills. He sees plays developing and is able to take good angles to finish those plays.
Versatility
Thank you for the great visit! Can’t wait to be back! @ryandaytime @MattGuerrieri @CoachJimKnowles ❤️🤍 pic.twitter.com/piAfKPYzoA
— Nigel Glover (@Nglover_) March 11, 2022
Scout’s view
It’s great to see that Glover played multiple positions in high school. That typically helps players make the transition to the next level. He played both linebacker and safety while occasionally putting his hand on the ground and rushing the passer, giving him an extra skill set. Versatility is massively important in today’s brand of football.
Tackling
Thank you Ohio State for the great camp and experience 🌰⭕️ #GoBuckeyes @CoachRickyBrown @CoachWash56 @OSUCoachKDub pic.twitter.com/JUuY20IMRX
— Nigel Glover (@Nglover_) June 22, 2021
Scout’s view
Getting sure tackling linebackers is huge, especially since Ohio State has made it a focus on limiting big plays. It’s much easier to accomplish that when you have linebackers who can step into open lanes and make tackles. Glover is a player who can do those things, he can go high or low to make the play and is strong enough to do both.
Horizontal movement
Ran an 11.3 in my first 100m dash. Had a lot of fun running in it and looking forward to improving my time over the next few weeks. @AllenTrieu pic.twitter.com/i7vfyRIKGO
— Nigel Glover (@Nglover_) April 22, 2022
Scout’s view
Three-down linebackers are pretty rare but Glover has the potential to be one. His coverage skills will enable the coaching staff to keep him on the field in obvious passing downs, especially considering he has great horizontal movement.
What to expect
H🅾️ME 🌰🌰@Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/iC3FvbSPPa
— Nigel Glover (@Nglover_) August 1, 2023
Scout’s view
It’s tough to say but with a big transition in front of Glover, both positionally and location, you can’t expect that much from him early on. Getting some time in the weight room will help in the long term, and in the short, term a special teams demon is a way for Glover to carve out some playing time.
Once he’s able to get on the field, Glover has the ability to have a solid Buckeye career. He will be a great depth piece and special teams player with the upside to do much more.
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