One of the most coveted players — and few remaining uncommitted players — in the 2021 college football recruiting class is set to finally make his college choice this weekend. J.T. Tuimoloau, a five-star defensive lineman from Eastside Catholic in Sammamish, Washington, will make his commitment live Sunday at 4 p.m. ET on CBS Sports HQ. He’s rated as the No. 3 overall player in the country in the 247Sports Composite rankings and the No. 1 overall player in 247Sports’ rankings.
You can watch Tuimoloau’s announcement live in the video at the top of this page, on the CBS Sports App or via your connected device (Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV).
As you’d expect of a player who has waited as long to make his decision as Tuimoloau, he’s kept things close to the vest in his recruitment. He did make some headlines in recent weeks, however, when he canceled a trip to Alabama. Tuimoloau took four official visits during June, hitting his home-state school Washington first before making trips to USC, Ohio State and Oregon.
Heading into the home stretch, every single Crystal Ball prediction for Tuimoloau at 247Sports is for Ohio State, but none of the predictions are high-confidence picks. Nobody has a great read on what Tuimoloau’s plans are, though 247Sports’ Ohio State writer Bill Kurelic said last week that he’d be “absolutely shocked” if it’s not Ohio State or Oregon.
Here’s the scouting report on Tuimoloau from 247Sports’ Brandon Huffman, who projects Tuimoloau as a possible top-10 pick in the NFL Draft after college.
Powerful, athletic and nimble, with room to still add significant weight at the next level. Has lined up on the edge, mixing with hand down while also standing up. Elite pass rusher, who can mix a variety of moves with pure strength to shed his blockers. Can drop into coverage against running backs, receivers and tight ends and has the athleticism and ball skills to be a force in coverage. Has even played safety. Could be a top tight end prospect if he focused on offense, with natural pass-catching skills, ability to track the ball and high point it and run after the catch. Also a high-major basketball player, averaging nearly a double-double in prep career. As he continues to add weight and strength, figures to be among the elite pass-rushers at the next level. Projects as an instant impact Power 5-starter and a Top Ten overall draft pick.
Wherever Tuimoloau ends up, it sounds like one school will be getting a game-changing late addition to its 2021 recruiting class.