JT Tuimoloau already impressing Buckeye coaching staff at camp

Washington State-native J.T. Tuimoloau is already impressing at Ohio State camp despite arriving just a few weeks ago. After five practices, the freshman defensive end. is showing the Buckeye coaching staff why he was one of the most highly coveted prospects in the country in 2021.

“He’s flashed,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said of Tuimoloau, via the Columbus Dispatch. “He’s learning. He still has moments where he’s still not sure exactly where to go or what to do. But you can see certainly the flashes and brilliance of a 272-pound defensive end who can run. But then when he does kind of know exactly what he’s doing, he’s made a lot of plays, and we’re having a hard time blocking him.”

Since Tuimoloau did not have the opportunity to participate in spring practice, meticulousness is important. Tuimoloau checks that box.

“Also, what I see on the field is tremendous attention to detail,” Day said. “Very conscientious, takes a lot of notes, can take a meeting to the field in short order, and so because of that, he’s made up a lot of ground in a very short amount of time.”

The 6-foot-5 Tuimoloau did not commit until July 4th. He was unable to officially visit schools until June because of the NCAA recruiting dead period, and Tuimoloau wanted to take those visits before picking a spot. His final four schools were Washington, USC, Ohio State and Oregon. 

The defensive end can do it all. He is both an elite pass rusher and he can drop into coverage and show off his ball skills. He could play tight end, and he had multiple offers from Power 5 schools to play basketball.

Tuimoloau may need to step up sooner than expected

On Friday, Day announced that senior defensive end Tyler Friday would likely miss most of the 2021 with a still-undisclosed injury. As a result, Tuimoloau and fellow five-star freshman Jack Sawyer might be called upon for some valuable snaps early in their Columbus careers.

Ohio State has a rich history at defensive line, and this upcoming season is no exception. Zach Harrison is expected to be a high-level draft pick and redshirt junior Javontae Jean-Baptiste is poised to have a breakout season. Jean-Baptiste has just 20 career tackles, but he has played in 20 games, so he has a fair amount of experience. Defensive end Tyreke Smith, a true senior, has 29 games, 30 tackles, five sacks and seven tackles for loss in his career.

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