A Columbus native and DeSales High School graduate, Joey Velazquez, who previously played for the Michigan Wolverines, has transferred to Ohio State as confirmed by a program spokesperson. The 6-foot, 222-pound linebacker, rated as a three-star recruit in the 2019 class, will be joining the Buckeyes as a walk-on for the 2024 season.
During his time at Michigan, Velazquez appeared in 16 games spread across five seasons, seeing action as a freshman in 2019 (one game), a redshirt sophomore in 2021 (10 games), and a redshirt junior in 2022 (five games). He did not play in the 2020 or 2023 seasons, concluding his Michigan career with eight tackles and one fumble recovery.
Beyond football, Velazquez also competed in baseball at Michigan, where he was a four-year letterwinner as an outfielder, contributing to the team’s advancement to NCAA Regionals in 2021 and 2022. Over the course of 100 games, he started in 68 and achieved a batting average of .255, including 17 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, and 51 RBIs. Notably, Velazquez will exclusively focus on football for Ohio State, as confirmed by a spokesperson.
A recent gathering of Ohio State’s linebacker group to watch Super Bowl LVIII was documented by graduate assistant James Laurinaitis, with Velazquez appearing in the back of the photo sporting a black Nike jacket alongside coaches and teammates.
BUCKEYES!!! Sacred Brotherhood!!! pic.twitter.com/T7Z1575fzQ
— James Laurinaitis (@JLaurinaitis55) February 12, 2024
