Late last week, Ohio State 2021 five-star defensive end target J.T. Tuimoloau (Sammamish, WA/Eastside Catholic) included the Buckeyes in his top seven schools. The announcement itself of the top schools was somewhat surprising, and while the programs he listed were not all that shocking, it did offer a glimpse into a recruitment that has been rather close to the vest.
Despite Tuimoloau keeping quiet on his recruitment, Ohio State has long been viewed as the frontrunner in the race for his services. A large reason for their success with the Washington native has been because of the Buckeyes recent success in sending defensive ends to the NFL Draft, as well as his relationship with OSU defensive line coach Larry Johnson.