Does Oregon football have realistic shot to land 5-star DE JT Tuimoloau?

We are getting closer to the finish line for one of the best recruits in the entire 2021 class as Oregon football is hoping to surprise everyone and land five-star defensive end JT Tuimoloau.

Tuimoloau is looking at a handful of schools and is planning some visits this summer, according to a paywall article from 247Sports, and Oregon is high on his list. However, it’s going to be tough for Mario Cristobal to land him over the likes of Ohio State, Alabama, Washington, and USC. Some recruiting analysts believe that Ohio State is the leader with Alabama and Oregon close behind.

The Ducks have pieced together one of the best recruiting classes in school history for 2021 as it was ranked sixth in the country and 13 signees enrolled early — that’s not even including three more preferred walk-ons.

Landing another five-star commit would make this group easily the most talented, on paper, class in school history and one of the best in recent memory in the Pac-12.

Oregon football’s realistic chances with JT Tuimoloau

So what are Oregon’s chances with Tuimoloau?

If you go by the Crystal Ball on 247Sports, you would think there’s a 0 percent chance he goes anywhere else but Ohio State. The Buckeyes seem to be the overwhelming favorite with Alabama right on their heels, but the confidence levels on these predictions are medium to low. Not exactly a guarantee he ends up in Columbus.

The two teams Oregon will have to beat out are Alabama and Ohio State and that’s not going to be easy because both can tout national title contention right away.

Oregon could be a national title contender in 2021, but that’s not a given. He is a West Coast kid which may help the Ducks’ chances and the fact that they are just one of two finalists (Washington is the other) to offer him a scholarship to play basketball as well.

I would say that after he finishes all of his visits (and assuming Oregon gets on in June when the dead period is over), the Ducks will be squarely in that top three, but I just think Ohio State is too far ahead at this point. He has to see what the Buckeyes have done with elite defensive ends over the years and what recruit wouldn’t want to be a future No. 1 overall pick?

Alabama is an NFL factory as well but Oregon has current proof of a successful former five-star defensive lineman in Kayvon Thibodeaux who says his goal for 2021 is to win the Heisman.

If I were to put a percentage number on Oregon’s chances to land the No. 1 overall recruit in 2021 to bolster that recruiting class, it would be somewhere in the ballpark of 15-20 percent. Not great but chances to grow with a visit.