In a recruiting class with no shortage of top prospects from the state of Ohio, Tegra Tshabola was the first to receive an offer from Ohio State.
Tshabola was offered by Nov. 2, 2019, when Ohio State became the first school to extend him a scholarship offer even though it had not yet offered any in-state prospects in the recruiting class of 2022. More than two years before Tshabola would be able to sign a National Letter of Intent with any school, Ohio State made it clear it wanted the offensive lineman from West Chester, Ohio, to stay in his home state and play for the Buckeyes.
From that point forward, it seemed like it would be only a matter of time before Tshabola became a Buckeye, and less than six months later, Tshabola committed to Ohio State on April 24, 2020. On Wednesday, Tshabola was finally able to make it official, when he submitted his NLI to Ohio State on the first day of the early signing period.
It’s not hard to see why Tshabola captured Ohio State’s attention while he was still only a sophomore at Lakota West High School. Even though he was just 15 years old at the time, he was already 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds. Now 330 pounds, Tshabola remains a graceful athlete for his size. Physical attributes like his are hard to find, and that’s why the Buckeyes made him an early priority in their offensive line recruiting efforts.
Combining a quick burst off the line of scrimmage with excellent power, Tshabola can often be seen mauling defenders and burying them into the ground on his high school film.
Tshabola played primarily as a left tackle at Lakota West, where he earned first-team All-Ohio honors for both his junior and senior seasons, but whether he’ll stay on the outside at Ohio State is uncertain. With his massive size and mauling power, some believe Tshabola is best suited to play guard at the next level. While Tshabola was initially recruited as a tackle and believes he is capable of continuing to play tackle at Ohio State, he told Eleven Warriors in September that he’s willing to line up wherever Ohio State wants to play him.
“I’ve played every position all throughout high school and it’s just fun to play everywhere,” Tshabola said. “Either way it goes, I’ll be ready.”
The Tshabola File
- Class: 2022
- Size: 6-foot-6/330 lbs.
- Pos: OT
- School: Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #114 (#10 OT)
As the No. 114 overall prospect in the recruiting class of 2022, Tshabola is currently the highest-ranked offensive lineman in Ohio State’s class of signees. Given that, it’s certainly possible the Buckeyes could need him to provide depth as a freshman, and where he starts his career on the offensive line could depend on how the rest of the depth chart shakes out around him.
Considering that Tshabola won’t arrive at Ohio State until the summer, however, the Buckeyes could look to redshirt him in 2022 before giving him the chance to start competing his way up the depth chart in 2023. After physically overmatching most of his high school opponents, Tshabola will likely need some time to develop his technique and fundamentals before he’s ready to consistently block Big Ten defensive linemen.
That said, betting on giant offensive linemen with immense upside has paid off for Ohio State before – Thayer Munford and Dawand Jones are just a couple examples of that – and the Buckeyes will now look to mold Tshabola into their next star in the trenches.
