Ohio State 21 WA DE (JR) - J.T. Tuimoloau ('23 First Team All-BIG, '22 First Team All-BIG)

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STRONGSIDE DEFENSIVE END
6'4''|275 LBS
CLASS OF 2021

Ohio State has offered.

 

Thick, sturdy athlete with a powerful lower half and a frame that will add mass easily on the college level. Operates primarily as an edge defender in high school but frame allows the possibility to kick inside as he continues to mature. Extremely unique talent in terms of versatility. Anchors effectively against the run and shows the ability to set the edge. Uses hands and length to keep blockers away from his body and is active shedding and chasing. Strong pass-rusher even with limited technique. Shows rare ability to play in space given his size. Can drop into coverage and understand pass concepts. Runs well downfield and has athleticism and ball skills to be a top tier tight end. Validates athleticism on the basketball court where he is a Division I prospect if he pursued it. Needs to continue to refine technique and show some polish as a pass rusher. Projects as an immediate power five impact player and has the upside to be drafted in the top ten overall.

 

Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic five-star defensive lineman J.T. Tuimoloau, the No. 1 prospect nationally in 2021, is still working through the recruiting process https://t.co/8HbU7glZXW pic.twitter.com/Cj8HzQYQ39

— Brandon Huffman (@BrandonHuffman) April 15, 2020

 

Coming at No. 4 in our 2021 Five-Star Countdown is Washington DE J.T. Tuimoloau @JT_tuimoloau

Washington, Ohio State and Oregon are among the schools vying for his commitment.

See the full list of updating five-stars here: https://t.co/DabCFEKlvp pic.twitter.com/2WbQsNM4ts

— Rivals (@Rivals) May 11, 2020

 

This seems to be trending Ohio State's way...........

 

.@JT_tuimoloau the #1 Ranked Player in the country in high school right now and the #1 DL prospect. But I bet y’all didn’t know he could easily be the #1 rated TE in his class too!! 🤫🤫 I would say he moves pretty good at 6-5 277lbs what y’all think? 🤷🏽‍♂️#FSPBoys pic.twitter.com/OEQ4JfnItV

— Tracy Ford (@TFordFSP) May 27, 2020

 

Trending our way..........

 

I would also add that this one could go all the way to signing day.............pulling a kid from the west coast is never easy but Ohio State has a great relationship with Tuimoloau..........

 

Will Ohio State or Washington win the battle for five-star J.T. Tuimoloau? @adamgorney has the latest on five intriguing two-team battles out West https://t.co/gAXf7XaEzB

— ChadSimmons (@ChadSimmons_) June 18, 2020

 

Yet more on a huge day of content today on @Bucknuts247! Country's No. 1 prospect @JT_tuimoloau
discusses #OhioState and another Zoom call with the #Buckeyes this week via @247Sports West Coast insider @BrandonHuffman. VIP https://t.co/aatOzaiaSW

— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) June 19, 2020

 

Our @247Sports West coast recruiting insider @BrandonHuffman breaks down #OhioState 5-star defensive lineman J.T. Tuimoloau's recruitment like only he can on @Bucknuts247. VIP https://t.co/cBxclPWzqJ

— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) July 6, 2020

 

The Hurry-Up: Five-star prospect J.T. Tuimoloau is being patient with his decision, Jordan Hancock is Ohio State's ninth All-American Bowl commit and Michigan offers an OSU commit. https://t.co/BYPwtRFIO1

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) July 22, 2020

TUIMOLOAU REMAINING PATIENT IN RECRUITING
When Ohio State was in the middle of its scorching-hot recruiting run in March and April, it seemed like any top-50 or top-100 recruits were rumored to potentially be joining the Buckeyes’ 2021 class at any moment. That’s the type of momentum they had.

The biggest fish whose name was circulated as leaning toward Ohio State was five-star Eastside Catholic (Wash.) High School defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, the No. 2 overall player in the country who was actually listed as a defensive tackle at the time that speculation picked up.

Once that momentum subsided a bit, however, the reality set in that the 6-foot-4.5, 280-pounder was going to wait a long time to make a decision, possibly taking his recruitment all the way until February’s National Signing Day.

Tuimoloau does not talk about his recruitment with many media members except for 247Sports national recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman, who is based in Seattle, and Huffman has been reporting for a while that he thought it would be a February decision for the Sammamish star – one who is friends with former Eastside Catholic teammate and current Buckeye receiver Gee Scott Jr.

That appears to still be the case for Tuimoloau, whose head coach, Dominic Daste, told Cleveland.com that Tuimoloau is continuing to remaining completely patient with his college decision until the recruiting dead period is lifted and visits are allowed again:

“J.T.‘s a really mature guy, and how many uniforms you have and all that kind of stuff is fun for him,” Daste told cleveland.com. “But I don’t think it’s by far any stretch of the imagination what’s important to him. He obviously wants to have an outstanding football career and maximize his athletic ability, but he also wants to be a businessman and wants to do some things whenever football’s done. He’s trying to figure out which place is best for him in terms of that.”

As a supplement to that, on a YouTube highlight video released on Tuesday that showcased the ridiculous athleticism Tuimoloau possesses, Tuimoloau not only produced some slick snags, he also discussed his recruitment very briefly.

He said that he was likely to wait until 2021 to make a decision, and at the very least, he would be waiting until “late” in the process to decide, which further backs up Huffman’s thoughts on the situation.

 

Nation's No. 1 overall prospect J.T. Tuimoloau hoping for visits, goes in-depth on season, #OhioState and much more on @Bucknuts247. Via West Coast insider @BrandonHuffman. VIPhttps://t.co/hNT2I5I9qx

— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) July 25, 2020

 

Top 2021 target J.T. Tuimoloau, named to @SIAllAmerican's list of "most versatile prospects" today, is still heavily considering Ohio State, Washington and potentially others. Catch up on the ongoing and unique dynamics of his recruiting process here. https://t.co/jpCgAm0DiO

— BuckeyesNow (@BuckeyesNow_FN) August 10, 2020

 

Coming in at No. 4 in our updated 2021 five-star countdown is Washington DL J.T. Tuimoloau @JT_tuimoloau

Washington, Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon, Oklahoma, USC and others are vying for his commitment.

See the full list of updating five-stars here: https://t.co/JiEVW3PNkq pic.twitter.com/L8OlXMnLFI

— Rivals (@Rivals) August 24, 2020

 

Top football recruit J.T. Tuimoloau is NICE on the court too 💪@JT_tuimoloau pic.twitter.com/60YK1S4z99

— Overtime (@overtime) September 3, 2020

 

JT is a kid who will most likely wait until February for a decision...........I still like Buckeyes in this one.....