J.T. Tuimoloau Adding New Tools to Toolbox for 2024: ‘There’s A Lot More I Can Do’

The Buckeyes began spring practice with some new faces in new places, namely junior Sonny Styles moving from safety to linebacker, and sophomore safety Caleb Downs moving from Alabama to Ohio State.

There were also some old faces in old places, but with some plans for a bit of a twist.

One of those twists could eventually feature All-Big Ten defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau lining up as an outside linebacker, which would be different from his familiar post on the edge. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles envisions a “double eagle” package featuring Tuimoloau and fellow senior defensive end Jack Sawyer standing up and rushing around three interior defensive linemen.

And it has caught Tuimoloau’s attention.

“Coach Knowles said I can play outside linebacker, safety, corner, everywhere, so I’m pretty excited,” Tuimoloau said. “He’s really just putting my skill level to the test and just allowing me to grow more mentally and physically. Just improve my IQ of the game at multiple areas of the field and continue to grow as a player.”

Tuimoloau is returning for a fourth season at Ohio State surprising the expectations of some who thought he’d turn pro for the NFL Draft. Instead, Tuimoloau chose “the brotherhood.”

Tuimoloau said “there was a lot that went into it” when he considered his football options after the end of last season. The Edgewood, Washington, native received favorable feedback and was projected to be picked on the first or second day according to some NFL Draft evaluations.

Home is where Tuimoloau found himself thinking at the most, noting he “spent a lot of time with my family and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” and ultimately, it was his new home in Columbus that drew him back to the Buckeyes.

“First I had to take a step back mentally and just really look at it,” Tuimoloau said. “But once you look at it, for me, it was just the brotherhood here. And just me as a person, I felt like there was a lot more that I can improve on skill-wise and just where my body wanted to be at. I feel like there’s a lot more I can do, and just the guys we had coming back played a huge role. And I’m pretty sure you guys see and heard how many of us came back, and I think that just speaks volumes to who we are as men and what this culture does to us.”

Tuimoloau is part of a wave of Buckeyes banding together for one more push entering the 2024 season. Most of the defense returned aside from defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. who entered the draft. 

Tuimoloau arrived at Ohio State as part of the class of 2021, and every year head coach Ryan Day and Ohio State list three goals of beating Michigan, winning the Big Ten Conference and earning the national championship — he’s yet to accomplish a single one of those.

Tuimoloau said he also talked with Sawyer “a lot” in the time leading up to their decisions to return ahead of next season, and the two kept picturing similar results.

“A lot is probably an understatement,” Tuimoloau said. “But we’ve had so many goals coming in our freshman year, and I felt like when me and him both decided to come back — it spoke volumes. And just allowing us to understand that the goals we had set upon us, set for our defense, individual goals and as well as a unit for the D-line. I think our goals were just right there. They’re all reachable, and I think once we thought about that, we just became even more motivated to come back and just get straight to work.”

Defensive line coach Larry Johnson has developed a close-knit relationship with Tuimoloau. He was there at the end of the recruiting process when Tuimoloau committed in July 2021, and he’s stuck by his side each step of his career.

Johnson said Ohio State is already working on getting Tuimoloau and Sawyer involved as outside linebackers during drop-eight defenses in spring practice.

“I think it’s great,” Johnson said. “We do a little bit of it now so it’s not a big deal. You’re either going to rush or drop, and they do that right now. It’s just a matter of changing the front on the inside. That’s all. We haven’t gotten there yet. But I know coach Knowles is interested.”

Knowles isn’t the only one who’s interested, it seems. The possibility allows for Tuimoloau to expand his impact from not only the ends of the defensive line but to showcase his 6-foot-5, 269-pound athletic frame out in space.

Tuimoloau said getting “leaner” and “twitchier” are near the top of his list of areas to improve as he looks to add onto his career totals of 74 tackles and 18 for loss, nine passes defended, seven sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, to name a few.

“Just to continue to react quicker and not feel like I’m thinking out there, and just being able to just run around 24/7 or every Saturday, every time we play on the field and just having that motor under me,” Tuimoloau said. “For me, it’s just, I feel like that starts here in the weight room. And then now we’re on phase two where it starts on the field and then after spring ball then it goes back to square one and going back to that weight room and cleaning up areas and critiquing all the small things.”

Tuimoloau has accomplished so much in his career already at Ohio State: He’s a two-time all-conference honoree and multi-year starter and who has appeared on national award watch lists like the Bednarik Award.

A career in the NFL can wait for now, Tuimoloau thinks. He’s gearing up for an important senior season not only for himself, but for the Buckeyes, too.

“I think right now all we’re doing is trying to gel, trying to get closer, have our mind be stronger than ever,” Tuimoloau said. “You know, a lot of people are looking at it as natty or bust or you have no excuses. But I think for us, we’re just keeping it in between these walls and just understanding, learning more of who we are as players and what makes us us and just continue to grow and develop.”