2022 West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West Offensive Tackle Tegra Tshabola Signs With Ohio State

TSHABOLA PROFILE

Hometown: West Chester, Ohio

High School: Lakota West

Size: 6-foot-6, 350 pounds

Composite Ranking: ★★★★

Commitment Date: April 23, 2020

Welcome to the Brotherhood, @tshabola_tegra

From Buckeye Legend Billy Price#BOOM22 pic.twitter.com/L4RBjvvgOD
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 15, 2021

Recruitment Recap: Tshabola was the first in-state player in his class to land an offer from Ohio State when linebackers coach/area recruiter Al Washington dropped by his high school in November 2019. He then committed to the Buckeyes the following April, just one day after four-star cornerback signee Jyaire Brown pledged his services to the staff.

Interestingly, the two eventually became high school teammates when Brown transferred to Lakota West in June 2020 and will now continue their careers together in college.

That said, there was a brief moment of uncertainty in Tshabola’s recruitment, as he told reporters that he was considering visiting Kentucky, where one his family members previously played. After a chat with offensive line coach Greg Studrawa, he then reaffirmed his commitment to Ohio State in May and cancelled the trip to Lexington.

Evaluation: Although he’s not a five-star recruit like Kentucky’s Kiyaunta Goodwin or North Carolina’s Zach Rice, Tshabola’s frame and overall demeanor should have him in the conversation to be the nation’s top offensive tackle.

He was labeled as a developmental prospect when he first committed to Ohio State and that label never seemed to wear off, even in the midst of a senior season where he excelled in both run game and improved his pass-blocking technique.

That said, it’s rare that an offensive lineman steps right into a signifiant role in Columbus. Just ask Nicholas Petit-Frere and Paris Johnson Jr., who were the top-ranked tackles in the class of 2018 and 2020, respectively, yet didn’t see any real playing time until their second year in the program.

Expect Tshabola to follow a similar path, one where he immerses himself in the Buckeyes’ strength and conditioning program and then competes for playing time as a redshirt freshman in 2023.

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