J. T. Tuimoloau
J. T. Tuimoloau (born May 10, 2003) is an American college football defensive end for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Ohio State Buckeyes – No. 44 | |
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Position | Defensive end |
Class | Junior |
Personal information | |
Born: | Tacoma, Washington, U.S. | May 10, 2003
Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Weight | 271 lb (123 kg) |
Career history | |
College | Ohio State (2021–present) |
High school | Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Washington) |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Early life and high school career
Tuimoloau grew up in Edgewood, Washington and attended Eastside Catholic School in Sammamish, Washington.[1] He was rated a five-star recruit and committed to play college football at Ohio State University over offers from USC, Washington, and Oregon.[2] He was also offered a basketball scholarship at Oregon.[3]
College career
Tuimolau played in all 13 of Ohio State's games during his freshman year.[4] He finished the season with 17 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.[5] Tuimolau also considered playing basketball at Ohio State, but ultimately opted to focus on football.[6][7]
On October 29, 2022 against Penn State, he had two interceptions, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. He became the first player to accomplish this in an FBS game in the 21st century.[8]
References
- "After lengthy recruitment, Eastside Catholic DL J.T. Tuimoloau — the No. 1 player in the 2021 class — chooses Ohio State". The Seattle Times. July 4, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- VanHaaren, Tom (July 4, 2022). "J.T. Tuimoloau, No. 4-ranked prospect in 2021 class, commits to Ohio State Buckeyes". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- Nemec, Andrew (March 10, 2021). "J.T. Tuimoloau, nation's No. 1 football prospect, receives Oregon Ducks basketball offer: Report". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- Davis, Dillon (August 16, 2022). "Sawyer, Tuimoloau primed for breakouts". The Delaware Gazette. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- "Ohio State defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau feels quicker, comfortable". The Columbus Dispatch. August 17, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- "Football? Basketball? J.T. Tuimoloau has rare shot to do both at OSU". The Columbus Dispatch. August 13, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- Lind, Andrew (July 7, 2021). "Ohio State Defensive End J.T. Tuimoloau "A Ways Away" From Playing Basketball". SI.com. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- Shipley, Reice (October 29, 2022). "College football world reacts to historic J.T. Tuimoloau performance". The Comeback. Archived from the original on October 29, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2022.