After completing his freshman year of high school, Gee Scott Jr. picked up an offer from Oregon and first-year head coach Willie Taggart in the spring of 2017.
Sott never seriously considered the Ducks, as he wasn't a fan of Taggart's style or approach. When Mario Cristobal took over, he made a late push, but Scott ultimately committed to Ohio State on Christmas Day in 2018.
The weekend before the NCAA shut down recruiting in March 2020, five-star receiver Emeka Egbuka took an unofficial visit to Oregon. The Ducks, led by Cristobal, had set up a Junior Day, unaware that COVID-19 would soon disrupt recruiting.
The Ducks made a pitch to Egbuka during the visit, but it didn't sway him.
Meanwhile, because of the pandemic, JT Tuimoloau extended his recruitment until July 4, 2021, weeks after the NCAA resumed official visits. While most of his 2021 peers had already enrolled, Tuimoloau took five official visits into the summer, including one in Eugene that had the Ducks competing for the then-No. 1 overall prospect.
Oregon and others were always trailing Ohio State, though, which won out when Tuimoloau made his announcement on CBS Sports HQ.
For the first -- and likely only -- time, all three players will compete in the Pacific Northwest when the No. 2 Buckeyes face the No. 3 Ducks on Saturday evening in a highly anticipated game. Ohio State has not played in that part of the country since a 2007 game at Washington.
Scott and Tuimoloau were high school teammates at Eastside Catholic in Sammamish, a Seattle suburb, while Egbuka grew up in Steilacoom, near Tacoma.
Washington heavily recruited Egbuka and Tuimoloau, but Scott's recruitment came later, after he had already committed to Ohio State. Oregon prioritized all three. Defensive line coach Joe Salave'a, who grew up in the same Samoan village as Tuimoloau's father, Ponce, made a strong connection. Egbuka initially considered Oregon but ultimately ruled them out when the Ducks shifted their focus to Troy Franklin.
Scott didn't connect with Taggart, who left for Florida State after one season. The Ducks had their best shot with Tuimoloau, securing his official visit, but Larry Johnson and Ryan Day had already established Ohio State as the frontrunner -- partly due to Scott's presence in Columbus -- even though Tuimoloau had never been there.
The official visit solidified his choice.
All three players were on the field at Ohio Stadium when Oregon defeated Ohio State 35-28 in 2021. It was the home debut for freshmen Egbuka and Tuimoloau, while Scott, a sophomore, played his first game in front of fans.
Now three years later, they return to their home region, just a four-hour drive for their families, in a nationally televised game. Scott starts at tight end for the Ducks, Egbuka is coming off a three-touchdown game against Iowa, and Tuimoloau, known for his big performances on national stages, is ready to play near home.
Each will have double-digit friends and family members at the game.
Each has a reason why this game matters: to keep their Big Ten title hopes alive in what is now a conference matchup against Oregon, a concept no one anticipated when they committed.
They all seek to avenge their loss to Oregon three years ago.
All three returned for a game like this on a national stage. Their national title hopes faded when they lost to Michigan in the regular-season finale. To add insult to injury, Michigan played their hometown team, Washington, for the national championship. A year prior, the Buckeyes had come close, only to be knocked out by Georgia.
Now they aim to prove that their move from the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest was the right choice.
On Saturday evening, the trio gets their chance to validate that decision.
