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Joseph Hastings’ Report
Catching up with J.T. Tuimoloau’s uncle
We all know that J.T. Tuimoloau rarely conducts interviews, but I was able to speak with one of his family members about his recruitment.
Doc Aokuso, Tuimoloau’s uncle, informed me that he recently spoke with his nephew about any trips that he has planned for the future. Aokuso said he does not have a visit scheduled and when asked directly if he’ll be in attendance for the Buckeye Bash, Tuimoloau said he wouldn’t be in Columbus next weekend.
With that being said, it appears as if the fourth-ranked overall prospect in this year’s class will wait until the regular signing period in February to sign his Letter of Intent. Aokuso says the impression he’s gotten from his conversations with Tuimoloau is that he wants to utilize his visits in early 2021 instead of doing self-guided tours.
When it comes to Ohio State, Aokuso said what really sticks out to Tuimoloau about the program is the way they develop players at his position. Aokuso specifically mentioned that the Buckeyes sending Chase Young, Joey Bosa and Nick Bosa to the league as high draft picks has caught his nephew’s attention.
He also noted that Tuimoloau is looking for a school where it’s going to be the best fit and that he will consider his opportunities based on their depth chart. Tuimoloau will evaluate whether or not he’ll get a chance to play right away and make an impact early at a school. Aokuso did not say that this will be the determining factor for him, but it’s something he’s weighing.
I will have a full story on my conversation with Aokuso tomorrow, so stay tuned.
Note on Emeka Egbuka
I also was able to catch up with the parents of five-star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka: Rhonda Ogilvie and Henry Egbuka.
Rhonda told me that she does not believe Emeka will be able to make it to the Buckeye Bash next Saturday. Henry also echoed the same thing to me, but expanded upon why they probably won’t be in attendance for the event.
“I had mentioned the possibility to him, but also reminded him that he had already been over there twice and with the extended dead [period], I wasn’t sure how feasible it was going to be,” Henry said. “In any case, there are currently no travel plans from our end unless something changes in the near future.”
Both news about Egbuka and Tuimoloau are definitely unfortunate as this event is primarily for prospects in the 2021 class, and the Washington-based seniors are two of their top three remaining targets in this cycle.
The important takeaway from the conversations I had with their family members, for Buckeye fans, is that both of them are not planning on going anywhere else in the near future. It is not like Tuimoloau is forgoing this event, but will be heading to Alabama or Oklahoma the weekend after.
Ohio State remains my pick for both of them, though I think it’s more important for Tuimoloau to make his way to Columbus than it is for Egbuka. I’ll be following up with their family members on Wednesday or Thursday just to make sure there are no last-minute changes when it comes to the Buckeye Bash.
Follow-ups on Derrick Davis and Tristan Leigh
Even though the commit-organized summit this upcoming weekend will likely not feature Egbuka or Tuimoloau, a couple of big-time targets could be in attendance for it.
Starting with Tristan Leigh, Rivals recruiting analyst Adam Freidman recently caught up with the five-star offensive tackle target. Leigh noted during their conversation that him going to Ohio State on Oct. 24 is contingent upon his mother, Laura Rigney, getting time off from work.
If she does get the time off, then they will definitely end up going to Columbus in order to see the campus one more time and hang out with the commits. If you recall, Leigh made his way to Ohio State in November 2019; the difference between this potential trip and his previous visit, however, is that he will not be able to interact with any football staff members.
As for where things stand with the Buckeyes, Leigh said that they are one of three schools – along with LSU and Oklahoma – that he speaks with the most. The third-ranked tackle on Rivals also opened up about his contact with offensive line coach Greg Studrawa.
"Most recently, they've been talking to me constantly about the opportunity at the tackle position because they're not as solid as they were last year," said Leigh. "Recently, I've been watching film with coach Stud a lot. He doesn't miss. If you go to him, he's going to develop you and get you to where you need to be. Based off his track record, I don't doubt him.”
I also found it interesting that Leigh mentioned Clemson and Florida as the other programs he speaks with the most. Alabama was in the top five he released in July, but they were not talked about in this article.
Friedman has Oklahoma on top here, but said his prediction could change after Leigh’s visit to Ohio State. To add to this, I heard from a source that the Buckeyes staff is confident about their chances with Leigh at this time.
I’ve maintained that Leigh’s recruitment has changed so much that it’s hard to make a definitive prediction, which is why I still believe Ohio State has a realistic shot here.
As for Derrick Davis, Friedman also spoke with him after the Rivals100 defensive back unveiled some important news this week. Davis tweeted on Friday that his decision date is going to be Nov. 7, which is just under three weeks away.
Davis was consistent with what he said on a radio show recently, which is that his top five consists of Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Penn State and Pittsburgh. He will be signing in the Early Signing Period, but is unsure if he will be taking any more visits.
I reached out to his dad after reading this article to see if going to the Buckeye Bash is still on the table, and he said it’s still up in the air. I’ll have an update sometime this week if they ultimately decide to go to Columbus on Saturday.
I find it interesting that Friedman submitted a FutureCast in favor of Oklahoma after speaking with Leigh, but has yet to make a prediction for Davis. I recently said that Ohio State is closer in this one than most think, and this gives me more confidence in that assertion.
If Davis somehow gets to Columbus for the Buckeye Bash and does not visit anywhere else from then until his decision date, I might give the edge to the Buckeyes if the trip goes well.
Andy Anders’ Report
Ohio State among top schools for Addison Nichols
Class of 2022 tackle Addison Nichols, the No. 61 prospect in the country and No. 8 tackle, told me Sunday Ohio State is among his top schools.
Nichols released his top 12 back in July and originally wanted to narrow his list down to five by December, but said that COVID-19 and the restrictions on visits have made it almost impossible to narrow down his top choices.
The Georgia native holds an Ohio State offer -- alongside offers from every top program in America, it seems -- and talks to the Buckeyes “very regularly.”
He’s built a good relationship with Ohio State offensive line coach Greg Studrawa and believes the talent the program has produced up front speaks for itself.
“They’re definitely in the top list,” Nichols said. “I don’t have a No. 1 school where it’s like, ‘oh they contact me the most.’ It’s kind of like a group where they contact me about the same amount.”
Again, without the ability to take visits, I wouldn’t expect Nichols to shrink his list anytime soon. He originally wanted to wrap up his recruitment by the end of his junior year in high school in May, but it appears as though that won’t happen.
Ohio State is definitely in the hunt, but I do feel as though Tennessee and Georgia are his early leaders based on his family ties to the former and visits to both. But there’s a long way to go and plenty of schools still have a shot, realistically.
I’ll have a story with a lot more info on Nichols, his other top schools and more thoughts on his recruitment coming out tomorrow, so be on the lookout for that.
Commits in action:
By Andy Anders and Joseph Hastings
A number of Ohio State commits had playoff games on Friday, while several others are still in the midst of their regular season campaigns.
Playoffs:
Ben Christman: Stats: N/A
Team Result: (W) 27-0. Will play Columbian in the Regional Quarterfinals on Friday.
Jayden Ballard: Stats: 63-yard touchdown reception.
Team Result: (W) 56-0. Will play in the Regional Quarterfinals on Friday.
Jaylen Johnson: Stats: Three total tackles.
Team Result: (W) 42-14. Will play Stebbins in the Regional Quarterfinals on Friday.
Michael Hall: Stats: Four tackles
Team Result: (W) 41-6. Will play Dover in the Regional Quarterfinals on Friday.
Reid Carrico: Stats: 12 carries for 106 yards (8.3 yards per carry) and two touchdowns.
Team Result: (W) 49-3. Will play Johnstown-Monroe in the Regional Quarterfinals on Saturday.
CJ Hicks Stats: Sack, deflected pass and an 11-yard touchdown.
Team Result: (W) 35-13. Will play Trotwood-Madison in the Regional Quarterfinals on Friday.
Jyaire Brown and Tegra Tshabola: Stats: N/A (Brown was inactive)
Team Result: (W) 31-14. Will play Colerain in the Regional Quarterfinals on Friday.
Gabe Powers: Stats: Ten tackles, two of them for loss, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble. Also had 100 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries, 45 receiving yards and a 35-yard touchdown pass on a trick play.
Team Result: (L) 41-48 in the Regional Quarterfinals.
Regular Season:
Andre Turrentine: Stats: N/A (injured)
Team Result: (W) 40-17
Denzel Burke: Stats: N/A
Team Result: (W) 70-14
Jakailin Johnson: Stats: N/A
Team Result: (W) 38-22
Jantzen Dunn: Stats: Three catches for 48 yards in the first half, including a 13-yard TD grab.
Team Result: (W) 37-13
Jordan Hancock: Stats: One rush for 17 yards and two receptions for 15 yards.
Team Result: (W) 31-0
Kyle McCord: Stats: 11-of-17 for 235 yards and a touchdown in the first half.
Marvin Harrison Jr.: Stats: 40-yard reception, but left the game with an undisclosed injury in the first quarter.
Team Result: (W) 38-14
Sam Hart: Stats: Two receptions for 23 yards.
Team Result: (L) 7-49
Zen Michalski: N/A
Team Result: (W) 49-7
Bennett Christian: Stats: Two-yard touchdown reception
Team Result: (W) 23-0
Dasan McCullough: Stats: Touchdown reception in the third quarter
Team Result: (L) 28-31
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