On Oct. 14, defensive end Tunmise Adeleye told Eleven Warriors his interest in Ohio State as his college destination was at an "all-time" high.
Today, that interest was apparently taken to new heights. Adeleye, the No. 4-ranked strongside defensive end in the nation and No. 41-ranked overall player in the country in the 2021 class, has committed to Ohio State.
100% Committed #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/V1fH5UlFpq
— (@TunmiseAdeleye) April 15, 2020
"Gameday atmosphere in Columbus, in conjunction with an experienced defensive staff that can elevate my game to an elite level, and a school of high academic (standing) are what are standing out about Ohio State," Adeleye told us in October.
The Adeleye File
- Class: 2021
- Size: 6-foot-3/260 lbs
- Pos: SDE
- School: Tompkins (Katy, Texas)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: 3 SDE
After flip-flopping back and forth between dates of when he wanted to make a decision (he initially set a date for Jan. 8 and then set it for Aug. 1), Adeleye's decision is finally in, and he gives the Buckeyes a huge recruiting win over schools like Oklahoma, Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M and Florida.
It was Larry Johnson's reputation as the best defensive lineman developer in the nation that wound up making a big difference here.
“Every single time I see a notification from any member of the staff on my phone, I become extremely happy because I know what Ohio State means to me personally,” said Adeleye, who visited Columbus in June for a Junior Day that began building that relationship with Johnson and served as a turning point in his Buckeyes' recruitment. “The relationships between my family and the staff have grown in the sense that communication is more frequent ever since September 1.”
Adeleye first got in contact with the Buckeyes through defensive graduate assistant Kenny Anunike at a Houston camp, then met Johnson at the June event and eventually met co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, who has acted as his primary recruiter.
Adeleye had planned on visiting for an Ohio State game, most likely its game against Penn State in November, but he was never able to make it up. But Adeleye was shown enough, and now Buckeye coaches, players and supporters can salivate about the future of Ohio State's pass rushers.
| NAME | POSITION | OVERALL RANKING | POSITION RANKING | DATE OF COMMITTMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JACK SAWYER | DE | No. 3 | No. 3 | FEBRUARY 3, 2019 |
| KYLE MCCORD | QB | No. 22 | No. 3 (PRO-STYLE) | APRIL 30, 2019 |
| JAYDEN BALLARD | WR | No. 70 | No. 12 | JUNE 21, 2019 |
| BEN CHRISTMAN | OT | No. 108 | No. 15 | JUNE 26, 2019 |
| REID CARRICO | LB | No. 73 | No. 2 (ILB) | SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 |
| MARVIN HARRISON JR. | WR | No. 56 | No. 8 | OCTOBER 31, 2019 |
| SAM HART | TE | No. 392 | No. 16 | DECEMBER. 30, 2019 |
| JAYLEN JOHNSON | S | No. 349 | No. 19 | JANUARY 7, 2020 |
| DONOVAN JACKSON | OG | No. 36 | No. 1 | JANUARY 8, 2020 |
| MIKE HALL | DT | No. 92 | No. 7 | FEBRUARY 1, 2020 |
| JAKAILIN JOHNSON | CB | No. 58 | No. 4 | MARCH 15, 2020 |
| DEVONTA SMITH | CB | No. 403 | No. 30 | MARCH 16, 2020 |
| EVAN PRYOR | RB | No. 83 | No. 5 | MARCH 16, 2020 |
| ANDRE TURRENTINE | S | No. 135 | No. 5 | MARCH 17, 2020 |
| TREVEYON HENDERSON | RB | No. 17 | No. 2 | MARCH 27, 2020 |
| TUNMISE ADELEYE | SDE | No. 41 | No. 4 | APRIL 15, 2020 |
Adeleye will be paired in the 2021 class with Jack Sawyer, the nation's No. 3-ranked overall player, giving Ohio State a top-notch duo.
"I’ve studied a lot of other D-linemen in my class in order to see what their strengths are and what they do well, and he’s definitely a guy I’d consider elite," Adeleye said in October. "I could see myself playing with him in the future."
The relationship between those two grew as well, and now the only question mark is where each will play along the line. They could either stack up opposite each other as defensive ends, or Adeleye may end up moving inside. No matter what, it's a great problem to have for Johnson and company.
