Recruiting: J.T. Tuimoloau Releases Top 7 with Buckeyes Included

No. 2 overall prospect from Washington officially announces his top contenders.

Standout 2021 defensive lineman J.T. Tuimoloau (Samammish, Wash.) has officially released a list of top-seven schools and, as many anticipated, Ohio State remains right there among the leading candidates.

The Eastside Catholic High School star listed the Buckeyes alongside Alabama, Oregon, USC, Michigan, Oklahoma and his hometown Washington Huskies. Tuimoloau lives less than a half hour away from Washington’s campus.

Ohio State and Washington had originally been considered front-runners for Tuimoloau, the No. 2 overall ranked player by SI All-American in the Preseason SI99. But the pandemic has obviously thrown a wrench into the process for many recruits.

A 6-foot-5, 277-pound monster, Tuimoloau also excels on the basketball floor and has been offered a scholarship in both sports by the nearby Huskies. On the football gridiron, he has shown the ability to line up as an edge rusher, drop back in coverage or move to the middle and support the run. He also plays tight end for Eastside Catholic.

Tuimoloau publicly mentioned earlier this calendar year that he wanted to visit Ohio State, Stanford and USC but those trips obviously didn’t materialize due to the ongoing CoVID-19 pandemic. He was also hoping to personally attend the Michigan at Washington and Ohio State at Oregon games this fall.

There has also been casual speculation that Tuimoloau and fellow top prospect, defensive end Korey Foreman, could both align together and stay out west to play at Oregon or USC. Foreman (Corona, Calif.) verbally committed to Clemson back in January before reopening his recruitment in April.

Ohio State already has standout Jack Sawyer, No. 3 in the SI99, locked up and adding Tuimoloau would formulate a massive duo up front.

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