J.T. Tuimoloau made his presence felt in a huge way in No. 2 Ohio State’s Week 9 game vs. No. 13 Penn State on Saturday.
Tuimoloau had one of the single-most-impressive individual performances for a defender in recent memory, harassing Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford throughout the game, which ultimately resulted in a 44-31 victory for the Buckeyes.
It’s exactly the breakout performance Ohio State fans have been waiting for from the former blue-chip recruit — and it came at a perfect time, with Penn State holding a 21-16 lead in the fourth quarter.
But Tuimoloau consistently made plays throughout the game, helping the second-ranked Buckeyes hold off the upset bid. For those who don’t follow recruiting or Ohio State football, here’s everything you need to know about the Buckeyes’ future star defender following his breakout game:
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Who is J.T. Tuimoloau?
Tuimoloau (6-4, 270 pounds) is in his sophomore season at Ohio State, which lists him as a defensive end.
The second-year defender is formerly the No. 4 overall player in 247Sports’ Composite rankings for the 2021 recruiting class. He also was the No. 2 defensive line prospect (behind only No. 2 overall player Korey Foreman of USC) and the No. 1 player in the state of Washington.
Here’s how he compares among the various recruiting sites:
Tuimoloau was among the last holdouts of the 2021 recruiting class. He and his family took their time visiting campuses, which he was unable to do amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of that, Tuimoloau didn’t sign in the early signing period or National Signing Day, instead waiting to sign until July 2021.
The star recruit out of Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.), ultimately chose Ohio State over the likes of Alabama, Oregon, USC and Washington.
“Go, Buckeyes, and we’ll be out there soon,” Tuimoloau said when announcing his decision.
How do you pronounce Tuimoloau?
Tuimoloau’s last name is pronounced “TOOEY-mo-lo-aow.” The second-year Ohio State lineman is of Samoan descent.
In one of his first meetings with Ohio State reporters, Tuimoloau explained that his first name, J.T., is actually just the initials of his first and last name.
“I’m going to clear this up for my mom,” Tuimoloau said (via 247Sports). “’J.T.’ are just my initials. My real name is Jaylahn (pronounced Jalin). So, that’s where ‘J.T.’ comes from. There’s no extra ‘T.’”
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J.T. Tuimoloau stats
Seven games through the 2022 season, Tuimoloau had nine total tackles (four for loss) and a sack. In the Buckeyes’ eighth game of the season vs. No. 13 Penn State, Tuimoloau had his the best game of his year: six tackles (three for loss), two sacks, two interceptions (one touchdown), one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He also defended a pass that was intercepted.
Tuimoloau played in 13 games as a freshman in 2021, including 339 credited plays (second-most among all true freshman defenders and fourth among all freshman on the team, per Ohio State). He had 17 tackles (4.5 tackles for loss) and 3.5 sacks on the season, including in three straight games vs. Maryland, Indiana and Penn State.
He is reportedly the only player since 2000, at least, with two sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a touchdown in a single game.
FBS players this century with 2 INT, 2 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the same game:
J.T. Tuimoloau today vs. Penn State
(Per @Stathead
— Jason Starrett (@starrettjason) October 29, 2022
As a high school junior in 2019, he led Eastside Catholic in tackles (64) and sacks (11). He played in a season-shortened senior campaign due to the COVID-19 campaign and was still named a 2020 All-American Bowl participant and the SBLive Washington Player of the Year.
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