Recruiting Roundtable: Michalski, upcoming summit, Tuimoloau's top seven

We are three weeks away from The Ohio State Buckeyes taking on Nebraska to start a season that, quite frankly, did not seem probable several weeks ago.

While there is plenty of excitement to be had for the start of their 2020 campaign, recruiting continues to be a hot topic for Buckeye Nation given some recent developments.

In the roundtable below, BuckeyeGrove's Andy Anders and Joseph Hastings discuss a 2021 OL's upcoming decision, the importance of Ohio State's recruiting summit later this month and J.T. Tuimoloau's recently released top seven.

Anders: I have a good feeling for Ohio State on this one.

Firstly, the timeline makes sense. On Sept. 8, Ohio State extended an offer to Michalski, then a Louisville commit, in an effort to add some depth along the offensive line for the class of 2021.

Michalski decommitted from the Cardinals 20 days later, and soon set a commitment date for Saturday.

Now, Florida State and Penn State, the two other schools alongside Ohio State and Louisville in Michalski’s top four, also offered him recently.

Overall, however, recruiting is about relationships. And I believe the relationship Michalski has developed with Ohio State’s staff and recruiting class will win out for the Buckeyes in the end.

Hastings: A multitude of FutureCast predictions in favor of Ohio State landing Zenuae Michalski have been submitted recently, but the former Louisville commit is still attempting to add some intrigue to his recruitment.

He is slated to commit later tonight, and has a top four of Florida State, Louisville, Ohio State and Penn State. Michalski previewed his upcoming decision with me and did not give a hint as to where he will be going, but the Buckeyes definitely appear to be in the driver's seat here.

Ohio State offers the best combination of a solid relationship with a coaching staff and an opportunity to win a lot of games on the field. While the Buckeyes will present more competition due to the caliber of the program, Michalski does not strike me as a prospect who is afraid of competing to earn his spot.

J.C. Latham is locked in with Alabama and Tristan Leigh, for now, is viewed as an LSU lean, so getting a tackle like Michalski on board is important for Ryan Day's staff.

Anders: I think it’d be hard to understate the importance of the recruiting summit hosted by Ohio State’s Class of 2021.

One of the biggest impacts from COVID-19 on the world of recruiting has been the inability for coaching staffs to host recruits for visits, since the dead period has been extended through the end of 2020. This summit, first and foremost, will be an opportunity for guys that haven’t seen campus yet or have only seen it once or twice to grow familiar with the area.

With five-star defensive end Jack Sawyer, who lives nearby Ohio’s state capital, serving as host to a number of players, there’s a chance for the commits from the area to stand in as tour guides for the Ohio State staff.

This also means top uncommitted targets will get a chance to see the campus and forge bonds with the Class of 2021. Prospects like five-star offensive tackle Tristan Leigh, five-star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka or five-star defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau.

It’s also a way to further develop chemistry as the class approaches enrollment at Ohio State.

All in all -- it’s a big weekend for the Buckeyes.

Hastings: The weekend of the summit is going to be Ohio State's commits' best chance at making a final strong impression on some of the program's top targets before they sign in December or February.

Even if we were not in the middle of a pandemic and recruiting visits could continue as they usually do, this would be a big event under normal circumstances. Potentially multiple elite prospects at Ohio State's highest rated commit's house with other future Buckeyes is a recipe for a possible commitment or two.

Getting Tristan Leigh to show up would be huge, but the main ones we are going to pay attention to are Egbuka and Tuimoloau. I believe Ohio State is in a better position for Egbuka since he's already been on campus twice, though a third trip to the school could seal the deal.

As for Tuimoloau, this would obviously be his first-ever visit to Columbus. I would not guarantee him to be a Buckeye if he does visit as trips to Alabama and other programs could be in store, but this would be massive for Ohio State if he attends the summit.

As Andy said, this would be a big weekend for the Buckeyes.

Anders: First off, I think it’s interesting that Tuimoloau released a list of seven schools rather than say, five.

I think it’s an indication that the five-star defensive end may not be as far along in his process as some have thought. He’s played his recruitment close to the vest thus far, and certainly isn’t the type to be vocal on social media.

Perhaps he wants a chance to visit a few more places, should the dead period end in time, before making a call on which school he attends.

As far as the schools included, there were no surprises as far as teams left out. Ohio State has always been seen as his leader, with Alabama factoring in alongside a series of west coast schools including USC, Oregon and Washington.

Hastings: This was definitely an interesting choice for Tuimoloau.

With how quiet he has been in his recruitment and the way he's conducted everything without giving too much to the media, I thought this could have been a top three or top four.

Instead, it feels like there are a few legitimate contenders on this list, and a couple of others that may be fillers for him. I am giving Ohio State the edge right now, but Alabama is certainly very interesting, especially since they are putting the full-court press on him and also have a proven reputation of developing d-linemen.

One also has to wonder that if he cannot take self-guided visits, if he would choose to stay closer to home, which would put Oregon and Washington in a prime position to land him.

To answer the question specifically, this top seven just adds more suspicion to a recruitment that has been a tough one to read for the past several months. The Buckeyes would be my pick as of today, but I think it's imperative that he makes the trip out east for their summit later this month.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove.