1- From what I was told this morning by someone I trust, EVERYTHING is going as planned for OSU in the pursuit of JT Tuimoloau. They are right where they want to be. I have had JT to OSU for a long time now, and there's no reason to come off that now. I think they're getting him.
2- A negative, because nothing goes 100% in your favor with these things. How do they answer the Larry Johnson question about retirement? It's going to come up. Does LJ look that family in the face and tell them "I WILL be here as long as JT is here." If he does, and I think he will answer that way and it will be the truth, it should be Game-Over. No way LJ walks away from Jack Sawyer and JTT to work in his garden and play golf. And LJ can tell the parents that you don't have to worry about your baby going 2,000 miles from home because I'm going to take care of him as if he were my family. I don't KNOW how LJ will answer that question, and I'm just guessing here but it's going to come up. I guarantee you the other 4 teams are mentioning it often and the family will want to know.
3- From the OSU perspective, this one is a 2-team race between them and Bama and that's the focus. He ain't staying home and wasting his career at Washington where they do not develop D-linemen. Would he really choose Oregon over being developed at Bama or OSU? Please. Would he go to USC where Clay Helton could be gone before JTT completes Freshmen English? This one should come down to the Big Boys, and that's how OSU is fighting this.
4- OSU vs. Bama. How does Day beat them? What's the selling point? This will come down to development, in my opinion. And it's simple. Do you want to play 3-4 years in the Nick Saban defense? Yes, Nick plays around with a 4-3 and even goes to some 3-3-5, but he is predominantly a 2-gap, 3-4, system where the goal of the down guys is to stop the run. Do they get drafted? ABSOLUTELY, just look at Raekwon Davis, Quinnen Williams, Isaiah Buggs, Daron Payne, Da'Shawn Hand, Jonathan Allen, Dalvin Tomlinson, A'Shawn Robinson, and Jarran Reed. Seriously, look at those names and tell us who the STAR is in that group? Because the guys LJ develops are STARS on their way to the NFL Hall of Fame. You know, Joey, Nick, and Chase. You don't need the last names because everybody knows them. Who do you want to be in 3-4 years? Forget titles, playoffs, family atmosphere, NIL, girls, weather, distance from home, and all that stuff. Do you see yourself as Chase Young? Or Daron Payne? Think about that for a minute.
5- THE CLOSE: At some point, it will be the go-for-the-sale moment for Ryan Day. You get mom, dad, and JT in the office and you put all the cards on the table. "This is your home from this point forward." PERIOD. There's no reason to take the Oregon visit or the Bama visit. This is where you need to be. Fly home with mom and dad, get your stuff, and get back here ASAP and get started building a beautiful future for yourself and your family. OSU is ABSOLUTELY going to push for the other visits to be canceled, and it's surely worth a shot.
6- Not sure if it's today, tomorrow, or a few weeks from now, but I have OSU getting JT Tuimoloau, and there's a lot of confidence on the OSU side of things.