Once 402 Lbs, Louisville Commit T.J. 'Big Snack' London on Quest to Lose 100 Lbs

When Columbus, Georgia, defensive tackle T.J. London, a 3-star prospect, verbally committed to Louisville on March 4, the primary topic of discussion wasn't his ability to disrupt run games or how much potential he had to be a defensive game-changer.

Everybody wanted to talk about the Carver High School lineman's size. A close second was his nickname, which referred to his size.

London's reported size at the time of commitment was 6'3" and 402 pounds. The defensive tackle, nicknamed "Big Snack," said the weight was legitimate when he visited Kentucky at the end of February for junior day, but he has now grown an inch and has slimmed to 385—and he has plans to get even thinner.

"I'm trying to get to anywhere from 295 to 310," London said. "A lot of coaches want me around 330, but if I can get down to at least 310, it'll help me in the future. I'll be a way better player."

Losing roughly 100 pounds is a lofty but achievable goal, particularly for someone who already has lost 17 pounds in roughly six weeks. Put the weight-loss goal on London's things-to-do list for the spring, along with improving overall quickness, gaining additional upper-body and lower-body strength and becoming even more of a dominant lineman.

Recruited by Louisville defensive line coach L.D. Scott, London said he's solid with Louisville and is looking forward to the tutelage from Scott and head coach Bobby Petrino. London added that he has been hearing a lot from Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and North Carolina State. Kentucky and Tennessee have offered.

Choosing Louisville, however, was something London said made sense, after the program separated itself from others with how it potentially wanted to use him.

"A lot of schools want me to play nose guard," he said, "but that's one of the reasons why I like Louisville. They want to evaluate my game and see if I should play 3-tech or someplace else. I want to play wherever my game can get better overall. That's another reason why I want to lose the weight.

"Coach Scott has been there the whole time. He's kept it real with me. I keep up with him two or three times a week. He's just a down-to-earth guy. One of the things he told me is to follow my heart and do what's best for me."

London said he weighed between 360 and 370 during the season. He didn't realize that his weight shot up so quickly after the season. The weigh-in at Kentucky caught him off-guard, he said, and he was willing to do whatever to lose it.

London has been running and getting quality workout time in the gym to turn things around. He also said he's changed his diet. Big breakfasts are very rare, if not nonexistent, and lunches include fruits and low-calorie snacks.

"I'll eat oranges, strawberries, pineapples...fruits like that," London said. "Lunches used to be where I'd probably eat a full dinner. Now, I'm doing better. My coaches are helping me out a lot with my workouts. They've got me doing a lot on the field and in the weight room."

London said he will be at Louisville for the annual spring game on April 17. He originally chose the Cardinals over offers from Kentucky, Mississippi State and North Carolina State.

"I liked everything about them," London said. "The defense they run, we run it in high school. I like the defense and the coaches there. Plus, I've got a teammate going up there [2015 safety signee Khane Pass]. Everything seemed right for me."

247Sports has London as the nation's No. 42 defensive tackle. As an interior lineman pledge, London is a valuable get for Louisville. The Cardinals signed three defensive linemen in the 2015 class, but all three—4-star Devonte Fields and 3-stars Drew Bailey and Tim Bonner—were defensive ends.

Louisville's last defensive tackle signee was 2014 Tae Thibodeaux, who redshirted his freshman year. In fact, since 2012, Louisville has only signed three defensive tackles: Thibodeaux, 2012 signee DeAngelo Brown, who finished his redshirt junior year, and 2013 signee Kyle Shortridge, who completed his redshirt sophomore year.

Before he arrives on campus, London said has some big, yet attainable, goals to accomplish. It starts with decreasing his size and making sure he's getting better Regardless, he's excited about his future and looks forward to putting on a Cardinals uniform.

"I'm solid to Louisville," London said. "It's a 10 out of 10."

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles