Tag: J.T. Tuimoloau

247Sports believes this Ohio State defensive lineman is in line for a huge 2023

It very well could be the case #GoBucks

We saw a glimpse of the game wrecker [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] defensive end [autotag]J.T. Tuimoloau[/autotag] can be in his monster performance against Penn State last season.

Many expect the rising Buckeye junior to take another step this fall, and you can add 247Sports Brad Crawford to that list. He singled out multiple defensive stars primed for a monster season and included Tuimoloau.

Crawford noted the performance in Happy Valley, claiming “it was an individual performance that stood out nationally.” Although he doesn’t give much more of a reason aside from Tuimolau’s massive game and former five-star pedigree, the Buckeye should terrorize opposing offensive linemen and quarterbacks this fall.

So far in his two seasons with the Buckeyes, Tuimoloau has improved his stats including tackles, sacks, interceptions, and forced fumbles in each season. If the trend continues, All-American honors could be coming his way.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

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.

Expectations are high for Ohio State defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau as he is on this watch list

Not just one Buckeye made this watch list #GoBucks

There needs to be another [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] spot at the table with linebacker Tommy Eichenberg at the [autotag]Lott Impact Trophy[/autotag] watch list.

Buckeye defensive end [autotag]J.T. Tuimoloau[/autotag] joined his linebacker teammate being named to the award given out for the most impactful defensive player in college football.

The rising junior broke out on the national scene against Penn State as Tuimoloau had an epic game. Two interceptions, one for a score, two sacks, a forced fumble and recovery, with six total tackles. It was a dominating performance, that helped the Buckeyes avoid an upset on the road in Happy Valley.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Although Tuimoloau couldn’t keep up with that game’s wild stat line, who could, there are many that expect him to blow up this fall. There are plenty of mock 2024 NFL drafts that have him being selected in the first round. If he lives up to those expectations, he very well could be a finalist for the Lott Impact Trophy.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

[mm-video type=video id=01gzbxw8bn5vhvb98gpf playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gzbxw8bn5vhvb98gpf/01gzbxw8bn5vhvb98gpf-960ba811c97e8ebaaa0d6b320d8ab805.jpg]

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.

Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison named to Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List

The Irish are lucky to have this kid.

[autotag]Benjamin Morrison[/autotag] made quite the impression as a Notre Dame cornerback in 2022. Now, he’s starting to bring in the accolades. Morrison has been named to the watch list for the 2023 Lott IMPACT Trophy. This award, which [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag] won in 2012, is awarded to the defensive player who best demonstrates athletic excellence and exemplifies IMPACT, which is an acronym for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.

The Irish are scheduled to face several of Morrison’s fellow watch list candidates during the 2023 season. Two of them, defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, represent Ohio State. The Irish also will draw defensive back Calen Bullock and linebacker Mason Cobb of USC. Also upcoming are Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter and Duke defensive lineman Dewayne Carter.

In short, the Irish will be seeing a lot of defensive stars who also are high-character guys in 2023. Those who think offense is getting too much leeway in college football will not be disappointed. At least it seems that way on paper.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

PFF Predicts five Buckeyes in first round of Way-Too-Early 2024 NFL mock draft

It’s never too early to think about next year, right? #GoBucks

The 2023 NFL draft came to an end on Saturday with six Buckeyes getting drafted in total.  This was tied for the fifth most of any school with Alabama and Georgia leading the way with 10 players drafted each.

On Thursday night C.J. Stroud went second overall to the Texans, Paris Johnson Jr. went sixth overall to the Cardinals, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba went 20th overall to the Seahawks.

The remaining selections were Zach Harrison to the Falcons in the third round, Dawand Jones to the Browns in the fourth round, and Luke Wypler to the Browns in the sixth round.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

With the 2023 NFL draft in the rear-view mirror, it didn’t take draft experts long to give their sneak peek of what’s in store for the next draft class.  This includes PFF’s Max Chadwick who released a mock draft on Monday that had five Ohio State players in the first round.

247Sports predicts seven Ohio State players selected in the first round of 2024 NFL draft

Seven Buckeyes in the first round?!?! #GoBucks

The 2023 NFL draft began Thursday night with three Ohio State players getting selected in the first round.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud went No. 2 to the Houston Texans, offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. was taken at No. 6 by the Arizona Cardinals and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was selected at No. 20 by the Seattle Seahawks.

Many schools would think that having three players taken within the first twenty picks is impressive, but 247Sports Allen Trieu had a “hold my Buckeye candy” moment for the 2024 potential Buckeyes selected in the first round.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Trieu released a way-too-early 2024 mock draft with seven [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] stars projected to get picked on Day one. Find out below which Buckeyes Trieu believes could be taken in the first round about a year from now.

Top five rated Ohio State defensive end recruits since 2000

Ohio State football is known for its elite pass rushers and this list shows why. #GoBucks

We have been diving into some of the more highly touted recruits in Ohio State history. We recently discussed the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive tackles, guards and centers, but we wanted to look into the history of recruiting defensive ends.

There are some very interesting names on this top-five recruiting list and even though 247Sports only goes back to 2000, there are some memorable names. It is always fun to reflect on how some of these guys performed and whether or not they lived up to expectations. This list only confirms the insanity of talent Ohio State has had at the defensive end position. Some of the impressive names that just missed this list are Adolphus Washington, Joey Bosa, and Tyreke Smith. Let’s dive in.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Current Ohio State defensive ends and their 247Sports rankings

Current Ohio State defensive ends ranked by the 247Sports composite #GoBucks

The Ohio State football team has seven defensive ends on scholarship and all were relatively high recruits based on their 247Sports recruiting rating. Going through the list of edge rushers on the Buckeye roster will blow your mind at how high they were ranked recruiting-wise, which makes me think two things. One is how bright the future is and the other is wondering why the pass rush was so lackluster last season.

Despite all the negativity surrounding the defense last season as it looked even more inept against Michigan, this defensive line is filled with a ton of talent and that is especially true when looking at the edge rushers. There are obvious names like J.T. Tuimoloau who had flashes of brilliance, as evidenced against Penn State, but just like the defense as a whole, Tuimoloau needs to be more consistent. The next stud in line is Jack Sawyer who has had even fewer flashes but has been moved around from position to position and maybe will play at a different level in 2023.

Here are all of the recruiting rankings of the current Ohio State defensive ends on the roster for 2023.

ESPN names this 2023 Ohio State verbal as their key commit

Who do you believe is the most important commit in the ‘23 class for Ohio State? #GoBucks

With the early signing period just around the corner and the fact that many players opt to end their recruiting at this time, it is time to look at who will be linchpins for every class. ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren looked at the top 25 classes and selected one recruit from each as their key verbal (subscription may be required).

For Ohio State, it was defense end [autotag]Jason Moore[/autotag], ESPN’s 53rd overall ranked player. VanHaaren views Moore as “a player who has room to refine his game, can be important in the pass rush.” He also mentions the possibility of adding [autotag]Keon Keeley[/autotag] (don’t expect it) and [autotag]Damon Wilson[/autotag] to the defensive line haul. He fails to mention [autotag]Matayo Uiagalelei[/autotag], who I believe is much more likely to join the class than Keeley.

VanHaaren is correct about depth at the position, as the Buckeyes have three seniors ([autotag]Zach Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Javontae Jean-Baptiste[/autotag], and [autotag]Tyler Friday[/autotag]) as the position. [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag] will have to find some younger players to step up next year to play opposite [autotag]J.T. Tuimoloau[/autotag].

The improvements on the defense do warrant a defender to be selected, but in my eyes it’s a member of the secondary that needs to be highlighted. The defensive back commits of [autotag]Calvin Simpson-Hunt[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Hartford[/autotag], [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Bonsu[/autotag], [autotag]Cedrick Hawkins[/autotag] or [autotag]Jermaine Matthews[/autotag] would be on the list, but they are ranked lower than Moore.

[lawrence-related id=101490]

[listicle id=101459]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz0qtnjg5x7tc8 player_id=none image=https://buckeyeswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

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

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Ohio State vs. Michigan halftime review: Three things

Michigan vs. Ohio State halftime review: Three things #GoBucks

The Ohio State Buckeyes are currently beating the Michigan Wolverines, 20-17, and the performance has been an up-and-down one. Ohio State is currently winning so the situation could currently be worse, but at one point the Buckeyes were losing and the Wolverines get the ball at the end of the half and could certainly take the lead early in the third quarter.

In all honesty, there have been more positive takeaways than negative ones, but we have to mention one topic that everyone with eyeballs has surely noticed and my social media mentions are being flooded with commentary about the issue. Let’s dive into three things we took away from the first half of “The Game.”

Fortnite Tournament features eight current Ohio State stars

@FortniteGame Tournament features eight current Ohio State stars #OvMFortnite #GoBucks

This Sunday, streaming superstar and Michigan football fanatic, NICKMERCS has partnered with Columbus’ own, eFuse and Epic Games to host one of the most exciting Fortnite tournaments in history and the first tournament to feature both current and former Ohio State and Michigan football players for up to $55,000 in prizes.

“Gaming deserves a place in rivalries as grand as this,” said Matthew Benson, CEO of eFuse. “Alongside our partners are Epic Games, we’re going big with a tournament featuring the rivalry’s biggest names, putting real money on the line and broadcasting this out to millions of viewers. Our proprietary platform was built exactly for major moments like this and we can’t wait to see how the gaming community responds.”

“Football and gaming have long been synonymous,” said Zach Beebe, Founder of NIL Management, a management and consulting agency supporting college football’s top stars. “The Rivalry Week Fortnite tournament is celebrating the past while looking to the future and building new traditions within gaming and modern entertainment. Our collegiate clients are super excited and can’t wait to battle. This series will be one for the history books!”

It gives me chills to think of this rivalry extending to yet another arena and my mouth dropped when Team Ohio State was announced. There will be 16 players on the roster, with eight being former stars and eight being current and I wanted to dive into the eight current stars jumping on the sticks to defend the great state of Ohio.

The tournament will air Sunday, November 20, at 7 p.m. ET on NICKMERCS’s MFAM Gauntlet Twitch channel: twitch.tv/mfamgauntlet.