J.T. Tuimoloau, 2021 DT

Ranking: No. 1 in Top247

Recruitment: Ohio State (60%) is the Crystal Ball leader

High School: Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic

"Not since Julius Peppers has there been a pass rusher who was feared as much for his ability to get to the quarterback or stuff the run as he was for his willingness to grab a rebound or pop a three-pointer. But that's where J.T. Tuimoloau comes in. The NFL has seen former hoopers like Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham star on the hardwood in college before becoming elite NFL tight ends but Peppers is the last elite pass rusher who was also a big-time presence on the basketball court (his final NCAA Game, in the 2001 NCAA Tournament saw him record a double-double). That fall, he focused exclusively on football and was the No. 2 pick in the 2002 NFL Draft.

"We could be seeing a similar arc with Tuimoloau, the top player in his class. And he's a player that hasn't ever focused solely on football, as he's also a high-major basketball recruit, playing for the famed Seattle Rotary AAU team out of Washington. But it is in football where his money will be made. He’s already a three-time all-state pick, the inaugural and only No. 1 prospect in the 2021 class by 247Sports, a two-time state champion in football and a three-time state semifinalist in basketball. He’s a 6-foot-5, 270-pounder with the feet of a running back, the range of a safety, the hands of a receiver (he also plays tight end) and the strength of a defensive tackle. His five-sack performance as a sophomore on ESPN in the GEICO State Championship Series is the game everyone remembers, but it was his one-handed catch in the final two minutes of the state championship game, followed by his forced fumble on the final play that gave Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic their second straight state title. Tuimoloau has already cemented himself among the greats in Washington. And he has a whole ‘nother year." — Brandon Huffman