Tag: J.T. Tuimoloau

Four Ohio State football players named to the Lombardi Award watch list

More Buckeyes on a watch list. You don’t say #GoBucks

The preseason honors keep coming for the [autotag]Ohio State football team[/autotag].

It seems as if every day that another award puts out their watch list, and with it, another day where multiple Buckeyes have the potential to bring some hardware back home to Columbus.

Today, it was the [autotag]Lombardi Award[/autotag], given out annually to the top lineman in college football. The last Ohio State star to win the award was linebacker [autotag]A.J. Hawk[/autotag] back in 2005. The first winner of the award was Buckeye great [autotag]Jim Stillwagon[/autotag] in 1970.

Find out below which four current Buckeyes made the watch list along with who has the best chance to break the Ohio State drought.

Tommy Eichenberg and J.T. Tuimoloau make Bednarik watch list

Two more Buckeyes on a watch list, this time for the Bednarik. #GoBucks

It’s the start of another week that’s closing in on the beginning of the college football season so that must mean we’ve got some more preseason watch list news. And if it’s a watch list, there’s a good chance some Ohio State players are included.

Sure enough, the Chuck Bednarik Award released its 2023 preseason watch list on Monday, and there are two more OSU players included among the whopping 86 names. Those two Buckeyes are linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau who are both already appearing on other watch lists this preseason.

The Bednarik Award is handed out by the Maxwell Football Club and has been around since 1995. It honors the best defensive player in college football annually.

That’s a lot of names for one of the most prestigious awards out there. Only one Ohio State players has taken the honor home, and that was defensive end Chase Young in that ridiculous 2019 campaign.

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Three Ohio State players on the Bronko Nagurski watch list

In case you missed it, three Buckeyes appeared on the 2023 Bronko Nagurski watch list. #GoBucks

We continue the march of the college football preseason watch lists with the announcement for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy that goes to the best defensive player in the country annually. The first installment of the trophy was handed out in 1993 by the Football Writers Association of America and has continued ever since.

Of the 94 names appearing on the 2023 watch list, three of them are Ohio State players. Defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, and safety Lathan Ransom — three of OSU’s seasoned leaders — were all recognized.

It says a lot that all three of these guys represent three different spots on the football field. If each has a season as everyone expects, that would mean a pretty special player on the defensive line, middle of the field at linebacker, and on the back end.

There have been two Ohio State players take the award home. Linebacker James Laurinaitis did it in 2006, and game-wrecking edge rusher, Chase Young, took the award home in 2019. We’ll continue to keep you up to speed on all the Buckeyes that make these preseason watch lists.

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Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

How good is Ohio State’s 2024 defensive line? 247Sports has an answer

Just how good is Larry Johnson’s group? #GoBucks

Entering the 2023 season, [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] is one of just a few schools that should contend for one of the four [autotag]College Football Playoff [/autotag] berths.

One of the reasons why is due to the talent that the Buckeyes return on their defensive line, the group coached by legend, [autotag]Larry Johnson[/autotag]. Multiple contributors headlined by [autotag]Mike Hall[/autotag], [autotag]J.T. Tuimoloau[/autotag], and [autotag]Jack Sawyer[/autotag] make up one of the best groups in the country, but how good are they?

Brad Crawford of 247Sports tried to answer that question by ranking the top 10 defensive lines across the country and came to the conclusion that the Buckeyes group trails just one other, Georgia’s.

The rationale is fairly simple, Crawford believes that “this unit could go next level and potentially be tops in the country if Hall and Sawyer continue their development as every-down threats.”

There will be two factors for that statement to come true. With Hall, it’s all about his health. If the big defensive tackle can stay on the field, he’s a true difference maker (see above).

For Sawyer, it’s about remembering who he was in high school. Playing the Jack position last year wasn’t the best idea, because he was a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Sawyer’s move back to defensive end hopefully unlocks his 5-star potential (see below).

If both of those things happen, then Crawford is spot on with his assessment that the Buckeyes have one of the best defensive lines units in the country.

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Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.

2024 NFL draft watch list: Top defensive ends who fit the Saints’ standards

2024 NFL draft watch list: Highlighting top defensive ends who fit the New Orleans Saints’ standards | @DillySanders

The New Orleans Saints are very picky when it comes to their defensive ends — actively seeking out oversized edge players who are naturally-stout run defenders that earn sacks with high effort as opposed to speed and flexibility. It’s a prototype that’s hard knock to when it works, as has been the case with Cameron Jordan for more than a decade, but it limits their options in the draft to a frustrating degree. A lot of good players have gotten past the Saints because of poor system fits and athletic limitations.

But it’s an approach we should expect to continue. With that in mind, here are the top five prospects eligible for the 2024 NFL draft who fit what the Saints tend to look for:

Ohio State football: Thoughts and things we learned following Big Ten media days

What were your takeaways from what Day said? #GoBucks

It was short and sweet for Ohio State head coach [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] and the three players ([autotag]Marvin Harrison Jr[/autotag]., [autotag]Cade Stover[/autotag] and [autotag]J.T. Tuimoloau[/autotag]) that represented the Buckeyes at Big Ten media days.

The four all spoke on Wednesday, during the first half to the event and everyone who was set to speak wrapped up on Thursday afternoon.

There was so much to learn from what Day said. I caught both of his podium conversations, a recap of the main talk is here while his other chance with the media was much longer and more thorough.

Find out below what I thought stood out the most from Day’s time with the media and a few other thoughts around the Big Ten.

Five Buckeyes featured on 247 Sports’ Top 20 Big Ten Players ranking

Who was left off? Who should be higher? #GoBucks

With Big Ten media day starting on Wednesday, there’s a lot of buzz and excitement around Big Ten football right now.

In light of this, three 247Sports college football analysts convened to rank the top 20 players in the Big Ten. These three analysts include Blake Brockermeyer, Chris Hummer, and Robbie Weinstein.

Coming into the season, the Big Ten appears to be as strong as it’s been in years. In the East division Ohio State and Michigan enter the season as two of the biggest national championship contenders. Penn State projects to be a top-ten team with a lot of talent returning.

The West division projects to improve as the Luke Fickell era kicks off in Wisconsin, Iowa looks to get back to the conference title game, Illinois looks to build upon an 8-win season last year, and Minnesota also projects to figure into how the West will be won.

With a lot of talented players in the conference, this turned out to be an impressive list. The Buckeyes, along with Penn State had the most players to appear in these rankings with five each. Here are the five Buckeyes who made the list.

Photos of Ryan Day and Ohio State players at Big Ten media days

Some of the best photos of Ryan Day and the three players at Big Ten media days Wednesday. #GoBucks

The first day of 2023 Big Ten media days has come and gone with another day set to come to a high-definition television or streaming device near you on Thursday.

Since we are an Ohio State homer site here at Buckeyes Wire, we were more interested in all of the pomp and circumstance and festivities of Wednesday than what will take place on Thursday. Although, I’m always game for an awkward Jim Harbaugh press conference so I’ll be tuning in for that tomorrow (will he wear a hat with a suit again?).

To that end, Buckeye head coach Ryan Day took his turn at the podium on the grand stage and spent more time at a smaller table with reporters afterward. He was accompanied by three OSU players, Marvin Harrison Jr., Cade Stover, and J.T. Tuimoloau, and all four were dressed to the nines.

We had photographers on hand in Indy and thought we’d share some of the best photos of the Ohio State contingent for your scrolling and viewing pleasure.

Rams select Ohio State edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau in latest 2024 mock draft

The Rams took Ohio State edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau in Draft Wire’s updated 2024 NFL mock draft

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As of now, the Los Angeles Rams currently own a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, making it the first time the team will draft someone in Round 1 in the Sean McVay era. Even though taking a quarterback isn’t out of the question, DraftWire’s Curt Popejoy currently has the Rams selecting Ohio State edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau with the 10th overall pick in his latest mock draft.

Popejoy has two quarterbacks (Caleb Williams, Drake Maye) going in the top 10, and both of them are off of the board before the Rams are on the clock at No. 10. Not many people expect the Rams to be a contending team this season, so many have them securing a top 10 pick in next year’s draft.

Tuimoloau is entering his third season at Ohio State and is looking to increase his sack totals before declaring for the NFL. In his first two years playing for the Buckeyes, Tuimoloau has combined for 45 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two interceptions, and a touchdown.

If the Rams intend to hold onto their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, they need to select someone at a premium position, and a prospect that can be a long-term starter. The edge rusher spot is undoubtedly an area of need despite the additions of Byron Young, Nick Hampton, and Ochaun Mathis via the 2023 NFL draft.

While the Rams will certainly mull over all of their options before next year’s draft, Tuimoloau could end up being a player the team considers.

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Check out where Ohio State lands on Phil Steele’s defensive position group rankings

Not bad, but are folks sleeping on how good this OSU defense can be? #GoBucks

Phil Steele recently released his yearly college football preview magazine with the season about a month and a half away.

Steele provides in-depth previews for all Football Bowl Subdivision teams and one of the best components of his magazines are his top 65 position group rankings. For defense, he ranks where each team’s unit falls for defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs.

The Buckeyes’ defense the last few seasons hasn’t necessarily been bad but hasn’t quite performed to the standard needed for the team to achieve what it’s capable of.

The unit has struggled in particular against top-tier teams and has been the reason Ohio State lost some big games in recent years. The unit gave up 42 points in each of the Michigan losses the last two seasons, 35 points against Oregon, and 42 points against Georgia in the College Football Playoff semi-final matchup in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

It’s defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ second season, and, with highly touted recruits due for breakout seasons, the defense projects to improve. The question will be how consistent it’ll be and if it shows up in big games.

Steele ranked the Buckeyes in the top 12 in college football in each of the three defensive position groups. Here’s where OSU landed.