J.T. Tuimoloau dispelled any notion that he might be a two-sport athlete at Ohio State in an interview on Big Ten Network Monday.
The five-star defensive end recruit received both a football and basketball scholarship offer at Ohio State before committing to the program on July 4, 2021, although it seemed far-fetched that the Edgewood, Washington, native would pursue both endeavors.
But Tuimoloau, who was honored as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after forcing four turnovers against Penn State on the gridiron this past weekend, hadn't officially shut the door on his hoop dreams until BTN's Dave Revsine asked him about it Monday.
"We talked when I first came out here. Coach (Chris) Holtmann's still my guy," Tuimoloau said. "When I first came in, I was really thinking about playing both sports. But I think how late I came in, I turned my focus to having my first full offseason this past offseason with Coach (Mickey Marotti). We just said, 'Hey, we're gonna go with football.'"
You know @JT_Tuimoloau can hoop, too.
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) November 1, 2022
The @OhioStateFB DE joins @BTNDaveRevsine to discuss his love for the game. #B1Gtoday pic.twitter.com/0i7tfBCpHi
Tuimoloau had a breakthrough performance on the football field Saturday, putting force an all-time great individual effort for Ohio State with two sacks, three tackles for loss, two interceptions, a forced fumble/fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown. Not to mention a tipped pass that led to an interception by Zach Harrison.
On multiple occasions at Penn State, Tuimoloau displayed the type of athleticism that made him a standout basketball prospect at Eastside Catholic in Sammamish, Washington. But Tuimoloau said his focus is solely on football moving forward.
Still, Tuimoloau said he still returns to the hardwood with regularity to ensure his skills haven't diminished too much, even if he won't be on the court for an official game at the Schottenstein Center.
"The basketball love hasn't left me. I still go hoop at the rec center, make sure I still have it," Tuimoloau said. "Or go before practice and put up some shots, make sure it's still there."
Check out Tuimoloau's full interview on Big Ten Network below.
