USC transfer Palaie Gaoteote transferred to Ohio State with hopes that he would be eligible to play this season. As time dragged on though, you got the feeling that his appeal to play immediately could hit a snag.
The NCAA has implemented a one-time allowance for players to transfer, but Ohio State has continued to communicate that Gaoteote’s situation does not fit the rule and that he is dealing with a separate eligibility waiver. We’re still unsure of what that is, but OSU had remained optimistic that he would be eligible to play.
“As of right now, we got word that he got denied,” Ohio State head coach Day told reporters Thursday. “So we’re gonna try to figure out what’s next. It’s very, very disappointing that he wasn’t granted an opportunity to play this season, so we’ll kind of regroup and see what’s next here.”
What appears to be next is an appeal. According to Eleven Warriors, an Ohio State spokesman confirmed that the program is still working to see if they can get Gaoteote eligible later in the season.
“Palaie is currently not eligible to play but Ohio State is continuing to work with the NCAA on this petition,” Ohio State told Eleven Warriors. Additionally, according to Letterman Row, that appeal decision could come as early as next week.
Nothing is guaranteed with either timelines or decisions. But this appeal process with both Ohio State AND the NCAA working together on a solution could be resolved one way or another by early next week.
It’s possible Gaoteote still gets denied. But the case is not fully closed.— Austin Ward (@AWardSports) September 9, 2021
As it stands, Ohio State is breaking in some new blood at linebacker after losing the top four on the depth chart last season. The group played well last week against Minnesota, but Gaoteote would add some much-needed experience and depth.
This is clearly not the news Ohio State wanted or was expecting, but it’s not over yet. It’s very curious how the NCAA can deny a waiver request in today’s environment, but we clearly don’t know the full extent of what this particular situation is.
We’ll bring you more news as it becomes available.
