Nation's No. 2 overall prospect in 2021 class has pair of B1G rivals in Top 7

The nation’s second-highest rated prospect in the 2021 recruiting class has narrowed down his list of schools top seven. A pair of B1G rivals are firmly in the mix.

Five-star strong-side defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau revealed his top seven with a post on social media Thursday night. Making the cut were B1G rivals Michigan and Ohio State. The other five programs still in the mix are Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, Alabama and USC.

According to 247Sports’ Crystal Ball predictions, Ohio State is the leader to land the best defensive end in the country.

Tuimoloau is a 6-foot-5, 277-pound defensive end out of Sammamish, Wash., and is the No. 2 overall prospect in the nation for his recruiting cycle. He’s received two dozen offers on the recruiting trail and has ruled out major programs like Alabama, Auburn, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.

From 247Sports recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman:

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.

During the 2019 season at Eastside Catholic, Tuimoloau was credited with 64 tackles, 15 for loss and 11 sacks. During his career, he’s piled up 32 tackles for loss, 18 sacks and recovered three fumbles.

Ohio State’s 2021 class is already loaded, ranking No. 2 nationally. The Buckeyes have 19 commits with four 5-star pledges and 12 prospects with a 4-star rating.

Michigan’s class has grown nicely recently, and now ranks 10th nationally and No. 2 in the B1G. The Wolverines have just one 5-star pledge but have received 10 commitments from 4-star players.