Ohio State Buckeyes Star is Becoming Criminally Underrated
The Ohio State Buckeyes boasted the best defense in the country this past season, and much of that was due to a dominant defensive front.
All four of Ohio State’s starting defensive linemen from 2024 will be selected in the NFL Draft later this month, and there is one player in particular that is becoming criminally underrated: JT Tuimoloau.
Tuimoloau entered this past year viewed as a potential first-round draft pick, and he certainly proved his worth throughout the Buckeyes’ national championship campaign, racking up 61 tackles, 22 tackles and 12.5 sacks.
The 21-year-old elevated his level of play on the biggest stage, totaling an incredible 5.5 sacks during the College Football Playoff. He put together two multi-sack performances during that four-game run, demonstrating how he can absolutely dominate in the trenches.
However, in spite of Tuimoloau’s progress during the year, his draft stock has actually slipped, and now, he is pretty much universally considered a second-round pick. As a matter of fact, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski even went as far to say that the defensive end was “never a true game-wrecker.”
That seems a bit unfair given the monumental stat line that Tuimoloau posted in 2024, and while he certainly had help from Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton along Ohio State’s defensive line, he himself was a terrifying individual force who absolutely had a huge effect on the game.
There are plenty of tremendously talented pass rushers in this upcoming draft class, but a legitimate argument can be made that Tuimoloau—who played in the Big Ten, mind you—is one of the best of the bunch.
It’s looking more and more like Tuimoloau will be a Day 2 pick in a few weeks, and whoever lands him will end up bagging a massive steal.
