Brugler's Scouting Report. #8 DL
8. TOMMY TOGIAI | Ohio State 6014 | 296 lbs. | JR. Pocatello, Idaho (Highland) 9/19/1999 (age 21.61) #72
BACKGROUND: Tommy Togiai (TOE-gee-eye) grew up in southern Idaho and started playing football in middle school where he led his youth league team to a league title in 2012. He attended Highland High School in Pocatello and played on the varsity football team as a freshman. Togiai posted 62 tackles and 6.0 sacks as a junior and anchored a Highland defense that allowed only 63.7 rushing yards per game. As a senior, he earned First Team All-State honors for the third straight season with 93 tackles, 11.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception and led Highland to the 5A state championship. Togiai was named the 2017 Gatorade Idaho Player of the Year and a U.S. Army All-American. He also lettered in basketball in high school.
A four-star defensive tackle recruit out of high school, Togiai was the No. 3-ranked defensive tackle in the class and the No. 1 recruit in the state with some calling him the best recruit in Idaho history. The offers started pouring in, starting with Utah during his sophomore year and soon followed by Oregon, USC and Washington. However, Ohio State made a strong push and was able to lure him east. Togiai became the first player from Idaho to sign with the Buckeyes, graduating early and enrolling in January 2018. His father (Tala) was a professional rugby player in Samoa. His older brother (T.J.) played defensive tackle at Carroll College (2015) and Idaho State (2016-20). His maternal grandfather played football and basketball at Ricks College. Togiai elected to skip his final season of eligibility and enter the 2021 NFL Draft.
YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES
2018: (12/0) 10 2.0 0.0 0 0 0
2019: (14/0) 16 2.0 0.0 0 1 0
2020: (7/7) 23 4.5 3.0 1 2 0 Second Team All-Big Ten; Missed the National Championship Game after testing positive for COVID-19
Total: (33/7) 49 8.5 3.0 1 3 0
HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
6014 296 31 3/4 8 7/8 76 1/4 4.98 2.90 1.78 32 8’9” 4.51 7.21 40
STRENGTHS: Stout, filled-out frame with better strength than most 330-pounders…keeps his shoulders square and torques his body to stay rooted in his spot versus single and double blocks…bullies at the point of attack, creating immediate knockback…uses his upper-body strength to stack, discard and find the football…enough quickness to weasel through gaps and get his momentum going downhill…flashes a stab move to create pass rush lanes…his acceleration and motor consistently jump off the screen as he chases down plays with pure effort…developed a passion for weightlifting when he was young and was one of the strongest players on the team the moment he arrived in Columbus…his teammates say he was a leader in the defensive line meetings since his freshman year…durable and avoided injury in college…his production and impact increased with his snaps and experience.
WEAKNESSES: Shorter-than-ideal arms…not a bad athlete, but lacks fluidity in his lower body…not the most graceful when prying through tight gaps…can get upright and allow blockers to get lower than him…undeveloped pass rusher, throwing late hands and not showing much of a plan…inconsistent counters once initially blocked…his instincts are still in the development phase…only one season as a full-time starter with underwhelming career numbers (8.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks).
SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Ohio State, Togiai played the one-technique position in defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs’ four-man front, lining up primarily over the A-gap. He was one of the prizes of the 2018 recruiting class and after two seasons coming off the bench, he became a starter in 2020 and emerged as arguably the Buckeyes’ most valuable player on defense. Togiai is a bully in the trenches and has outstanding strength and flexibility through his hips to anchor, shed and make plays at the line of scrimmage. He takes the “hard work always beats talent” mantra to heart, never taking plays off and competing with relentless effort. Overall, Togiai needs to develop his handwork and timing as a pass rusher, but he boasts developed power, physical hands and budding instincts. He projects as a stout run defender with pass rush upside.
GRADE: 3rd-4th Round
