J.T. Tuimoloau, Edge Ohio State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Tuimoloau was a five-star recruit from Eastside Catholic High School in Sammamish, Wash. in the class of 2021
Ohio State defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau was an All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore. The former five-star recruit is a hot name during the summer scouting cycle for the 2024 NFL Draft. However, he might be receiving too much first round hype.
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J.T. Tuimoloau, Edge Ohio State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Junior defensive end from Edgewood, Wash.
Background: Tuimoloau was a five-star recruit from Eastside Catholic High School in Sammamish, Wash. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 4 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 7 for Rivals, and No. 5 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 4th in the nation with a 90 grade out of 100. Tuimoloau led Eastside Catholic to 3A state titles in 2018 and 2019. As a high school junior, he totaled 64 tackles and 11 sacks. He was the 2021 Polynesian High School Football Player of the Year and SBLive Washington Player of the Year during the shortened spring COVID-19 high school season. Tuimoloau also earned the SBLive’s 3A Senior Athlete of the Year award. He was selected for the 2020 All-American Bowl. Tuimoloau was a four-year member of Eastside Catholic’s basketball team and averaged 11.1 points per game across his career. During the pandemic-shortened season, he averaged 18 points and eight rebounds per game.
Injuries & Off-Field: N/A
Awards: 2022 First Team All-Big Ten (Coaches), 2022 Second Team All-Big Ten (Media)
Pros: Appears to have long arms, well-proportioned frame, good linear speed, long strides to cover ground quickly, high motor, heavy hands, quick and powerful one-armed stabs, chop, bull rush, long arm, spin move, two-handed swipe, drives legs through contact to walk back linemen, pushes vertical before redirecting inside, spins back into the pocket when he pushes too far vertical, gets hands in passing lanes, soft hands and good ball skills, handles some shallow zone drops, speed to make plays as a backside run defender, uses arm length and hand pop to separate and redirect in the run game
Cons: Not explosive off the snap, lacks twitch and suddenness to redirect on a dime, tightness in hips and ankles, lacks ideal agility, outreached by Broderick Jones (2022), pass rush derailed by chipping tight ends, inconsistent ability to rush with power, lacks high-end bend to turn the corner, spin move is slow and high, pass rush moves and counters are limited and mechanical, rush arc carries him too far upfield, needs to show more urgency getting into his rush plan, needs to be more violent challenging pullers and run blockers, sealed inside or out against the run, offers nothing against double teams, anchor to hold the point of attack is inconsistent, misreads the QB-RB exchange on RPOs
Overview: Tuimoloau lines up in two, three, and four-point stances for Ohio State, primarily serving as a 5 and 6-tech. He appears to have long arms, a well-proportioned frame, and good linear speed with long strides to cover ground quickly. Tuimoloau’s motor runs hot, and his heavy hands lend themselves to powerful one-armed stabs, long arm moves, chops, and bull rushes. He also uses a two-handed swipe and spin move. The former five-star recruit drives his legs through contact to walk linemen back into the pocket. He pushes vertically before redirecting inside and spins back into the pocket when he pushes too far upfield. Tuimoloau gets his hands in passing lanes and has the ball skills to pull down interceptions. He flashes the speed to make plays as a backside run defender and uses his arm length and hand pop to separate and redirect in the run game. Unfortunately, Tuimoloau isn’t explosive off the snap and lacks the twitch and suddenness to redirect quickly. He’s tight in his hips and ankles and lacks ideal agility. Broderick Jones (2022) outreached Tuimoloau and gave the Buckeye defender fits. Tuimoloau’s pass rush is derailed by chipping tight ends. His ability to rush with power is inconsistent, and he becomes bogged down. The Washington native lacks the bend to turn the corner. His spin move is slow and high, and his other pass rush moves and counters are also limited and mechanical. Tuimoloau’s rush arc carries him too far upfield since he can’t bend and flatten to the quarterback. He needs to show more urgency getting into his rush plan. Tuimoloau is sealed inside or out against the run and offers nothing against double teams. His anchor to hold the point of attack is inconsistent, and he misreads the mesh point. Tuimoloau needs to be more violent challenging pullers and run blockers.
Overall, Tuimoloau is a well-built pass rusher capable of playing defensive end or outside linebacker, but he needs to continue refining his pass rush moves and counters. He currently lacks a go-to move to win early in the rep and doesn’t have the bend or elite athleticism to win on traits alone.
Role & Scheme Fit: 4-3 defensive end or beefy 3-4 outside linebacker
Round Projection: Late Second to Mid Third
Size: 6'4", 270 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 04-26-23