With the goal of making his college decision on Aug. 1, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star defensive end Tunmise Adeleye included Ohio State in his top five schools on Friday afternoon alongside Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
The 6-3, 240-pound Adeleye is considered the third-best strong-side defensive end and No. 43 prospect overall in the class of 2021, as he recorded 50 tackles, four sacks and one forced fumble at Katy (Texas) Thompkins last fall. He transferred to IMG Academy in January, where he’ll team up this fall with some of the Buckeyes’ top remaining targets, including four-star offensive tackle J.C. Latham and four-star cornerback Kamar Wilcoxson.
Adeleye — who pronounces his name Too-me-shay Ahh-day-lay-yay — landed an offer from Ohio State last May and took an unofficial visit just a few weeks later for the program’s inaugural Buckeye Bash and Barbecue. He was set to return to Columbus in order to attend a practice this spring, but that was obviously put on hold amid the worldwide corona virus outbreak.
Head coach Ryan Day and defensive line coach Larry Johnson have played an instrumental role in Adeleye’s recruitment thus far, stopping by his high school during the January contact period. Several Ohio State commits have made him a top priority, too, and there’s no doubt he’s taken notice of the top-rated class the staff is currently constructing.
The Sooners are considered the leader in Adeleye’s recruitment at this point in time, holding 43 percent of the 247Sports crystal ball predictions compared to the Buckeyes’ 14 percent. But he plans to take all five official visits before making his decision, and that will give Day and Johnson at least one more shot to turn the tide in his recruitment.
Ohio State already holds two commitments along the defensive line in Pickerington (Ohio) North five-star end Jack Sawyer and Streesboro (Ohio) four-star tackle Michael Hall, and hopes to add three more in the trenches this cycle. In addition to Adeleye, other notable targets include Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic five-star tackle J.T. Tuimoloau; Belleville, Mich., five-star tackle Damon Payne; Gaithersburg (Md.) Quince Orchard four-star tackle Marcus Bradley; Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic four-star tackle Tywone Malone; Brooklyn (N.Y.) Erasmus Hall four-star end Jahzion Harris; and Solon (Ohio) four-star end Najee Story.
