Add another preseason honor to JT Tuimoloau's résumé before the 2023 season.
On Thursday, the Ohio State defensive end was one of 85 players named to a watch list for the Polynesian Player of the Year Award, an honor presented to the most outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry that shows standout ability and integrity on and off the field.
Add Polynesian POY Award Watch List to @JT_Tuimoloau accolades pic.twitter.com/4DLEmOMXA8
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 17, 2023
Tuimoloau has made 26 appearances in two seasons with the Buckeyes. He ended 2022 with 17 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Tuimoloau's numbers were bolstered by one of the most impressive individual performances in college football history when he racked up two sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two interceptions and one touchdown in Ohio State's 44-31 win over Penn State.
In 2020, Tuimoloau was named the Polynesian Football Player of the Year at the high school level. The award came one season after the Tacoma, Washington, native was named a USA TODAY High School All-American for his 64 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and two fumble recoveries for Eastside Catholic in 2019.
The winner of the 2023 Polynesian Player of the Year will be announced on Dec. 14. The presentation of the award will be held during the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Celebration Dinner on Jan. 20, 2024, at the Sheraton Waikiki. The winner will also be recognized at halftime of the Polynesian Bowl on Jan. 19, 2024.
“This award means so much to our people and allows us to showcase the tremendous impact that our Polynesian student-athletes are having on the game of football,” said Jesse Sapolu, the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame chairman, co-founder and Hall of Fame inductee. “We look forward to following all the players on their journey this season.”
With Tuimoloau's appearance on the award's watch list, the 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive lineman's five preseason watch list honors trail only linebacker Tommy Eichenberg's six for the most on the team. Wide receivers Emeka Egbuka (four) and Marvin Harrison Jr. (three) have the next-most preseason watch list honors for the Buckeyes.
Overall, Ohio State has had 14 players named to preseason watch lists for various awards in August. We have collected all of those nominations and included them below:
Ohio State Players on Preseason Watch Lists
- WR Marvin Harrison Jr.: Maxwell Award, Biletnikoff Award, Walter Camp Award
- WR Emeka Egbuka: Maxwell Award, Biletnikoff Award, Paul Hornung Award, Walter Camp Award
- G Donovan Jackson: Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award
- G Matt Jones: Outland Trophy
- DT Mike Hall Jr.: Outland Trophy, Lombardi Award
- DE JT Tuimoloau: Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lott IMPACT Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award, Polynesian Player of the Year Award
- LB Tommy Eichenberg: Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lott IMPACT Trophy, Butkus Award, Walter Camp Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award
- LB Steele Chambers: Butkus Award
- S Lathan Ransom: Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award
- P Jesse Mirco: Ray Guy Award
- TE Cade Stover: Mackey Award
- RB TreVeyon Henderson: Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award
- RB Miyan Williams: Doak Walker Award
- CB Denzel Burke: Jim Thorpe Award
