Ohio State football: Nation’s top 2021 recruit to visit today
By Del Barris
The Ohio State football program is getting ready to host the top recruit left in the 2021 class.
The Buckeyes are finally getting their turn. Ryan Day, defensive line coach Larry Johnson, and the rest of the Ohio State football staff finally get to show off their program to the nation’s top recruit (according to 247 Sports’ rankings). Defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau of Sammamish, Washington will be on campus for his official visit tomorrow.
Tuimoloau has made unofficial visits to the other four schools on his list. He’s been to Alabama, Washington, USC, and attended Oregon’s spring game. He recently took official visits to Washington and USC. The Buckeyes are sandwiched between those two, and Oregon and Alabama.
Some are very concerned Alabama getting the last visit means he will commit there. My contention is he already knows what Alabama and the others have to offer. There isn’t anything he’ll see at those schools he isn’t aware of already. Ohio State is going to be able to make a very fresh and new impression on Tuimoloau. The others are not going to be able to do that. This could be an advantage for OSU.
Although he’s aware of what the others have to offer, it isn’t stopping them from going to lengths to impress him. USC gave him a helicopter ride over Los Angeles during his visit this past weekend. I’m surprised they didn’t take him to Disneyland and give him personalized Mickey ears.
Tuimoloau is already being talked about as a first-round draft pick someday in the not-too-distant future. Helicopter rides will not get him to that level; a defensive line coach like Larry Johnson will. Ohio State will not resort to cheap ploys to land Tuimoloau. They simply do not need to.
The competition for the 6’4½”, 277-pound edge rusher is fierce because Tuimoloau is considered a plug-and-play recruit. He’s ready to step in and play right away. Whether it is as a starter or part of a rotation, the feeling is he can contribute heavily immediately.
His athleticism is off the charts and allows him to drop into coverage and show effective pass defending skills. How highly thought of is he? Eleven Warriors points out if he joins the Buckeyes he will be the highest-rated defensive recruit they’ve had in modern-day recruiting (2001 to present). Yeah, that’s higher than the Bosa brothers, Chase Young, and Jeff Okudah. Think about what Larry Johnson can do with a talent like that.
The recruiting gurus at 247 Sports have had the Ohio State football program as the leader for Tuimoloau for months. Four of them have predicted him to the Buckeyes. The confidence level given to the picks is rather middle of the road, but I’d rather be playing from in front than feeling Ohio State needs to catch up.
Tuimoloau has not set a deadline for making an announcement. He’s visiting Oregon on Sunday and Alabama on the 25th. Considering how measured he’s been in his recruitment, I don’t expect a decision until early July.
Next. When will offers end in commits for Ohio State?. dark
Buckeye fans know Day and his staff will make an effective sales pitch. We’ll all be sitting on pins and needles after that. Tom Petty once sang, “The waiting is the hardest part.” Buckeye Nation is hoping the wait is worth it and good news is delivered.