Ohio State Defensive End J.T. Tuimoloau Loses Black Stripe

Tuimoloau is now an official member of the Buckeyes football program.

Ohio State freshman defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau had his black stripe removed following the Buckeyes' intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, which marked just the 10th practice of his college career.

ā€œFirst, I want to thank God for blessing us with this game that we love,ā€ Tuimoloau said. ā€œIā€™d like to thank the offensive line for pushing me, the defensive line for holding me accountable every day and Coach (Larry Johnson) for trusting me.ā€

The 6-foot-4 and 275-pound Tuimoloau committed to Ohio State on July 4 over finalists Oregon, USC and Washington. He was considered the second-best defensive lineman and No. 4 prospect overall in the class of 2021, making him the highest-rated defensive player to ever sign with the Buckeyes.

Despite his late arrival, which was prompted by his desire to take official visits before making his college decision, Tuimoloau has impressed the coaching staff with his athleticism and attention to detail in a few short weeks.

ā€œThe feedback Iā€™m getting from Johnson and the other coaches in the meeting room, but then also what I see on the field, is a tremendous attention to detail,ā€ head coach Ryan Day said on Aug. 9. ā€œHeā€™s very conscientious. Takes a lot of notes. Can take a meeting to the field in short order. Because of that, heā€™s made up a lot of ground in a very short amount of time.

ā€œHeā€™s flashed, heā€™s learning, he still has moments where heā€™s still not sure exactly where to go or what to do, but you can see certainly the flashes and brilliance of a 275-pound defensive end who can run. But then when he does kind of know exactly what heā€™s doing, heā€™s made a lot of plays and weā€™re having a hard time blocking him.ā€

Tuimoloau becomes the ninth member of Ohio Stateā€™s 2021 recruiting class to lose his black stripe, following the lead of wide receiversĀ Marvin HarrisonĀ andĀ Emeka Egbuka, defensive endĀ Jack Sawyer, running backĀ TreVeyon Henderson, linebackerĀ Reid Carrico, cornerbackĀ Denzel Burke, quarterbackĀ Kyle McCord and punter Jesse Mirco.

They all enrolled in classes in January and participated in spring practice, though.

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Andrew Lind
ANDREW LIND

Andrew Lind is an Ohio State beat writer and photographer at BuckeyesNow, founder of The Ohio State Uniform Database and the NCAA and NFL writer at SportsLogos.net.