Gaoteote, who is the cousin and former high school teammate of Ohio State fifth-year senior defensive tackle Haskell Garrett, was one of the Buckeyes’ top targets in the 2018 recruiting class.
Gaoteote recorded 105 tackles, 7.5 tackles and two sacks in three years at USC but dealt with a number of injuries that limited his playing time to 20 games, including 14 starts.
A senior with two years of eligibility remaining, Gaoteote would bring some much-needed depth to Ohio State’s linebacker unit, which saw all three starters in Tuf Borland, Pete Werner and Baron Browning and another key contributor in Justin Hilliard depart for the NFL after last season.