Ohio State commitment Colin White enjoys official visit, helping with recruiting
Colin White has been to Ohio State plenty of times before. In that regard, the weekend of Oct. 7 wasn’t much different on the surface for the senior wing from Ottawa (Ohio) Ottawa-Glandorf.
This time, though, White and his family were there on Ohio State’s dime. After having committed to the Buckeyes during the summer following a lengthy recruitment that saw him eventually earn the scholarship offer he had coveted, White took his official visit to his future school during the first weekend of October.
It was a lot of information, from meetings with academic support staff members and strength trainers to the full men’s basketball coaching staff. And when he added it all up, the experience solidified a few things in White’s mind.
“It was a really great time,” White said. “It just felt like home. It just felt like the right place to be. I had a great time with the staff and the players. It was just a great experience overall.”
White has taken multiple unofficial visits to Ohio State during the last several years. This time, there were multiple highlights to the official visit, but the time spent with the current players was atop White’s list.
“That’s what I was really focused on, was spending time with the players and get to know them more,” he said. “I was talking with the sophomores and freshmen about how college basketball is. That’s time I didn’t get on unofficial visits, so I thought that was probably one of the best parts of the official.”
There is some familiarity with the current roster. White has spent the last three years battling Ohio State freshman center Austin Parks in the Western Buckeye League. After four years at St. Marys Memorial, the 6-10, 260-pound Parks has battled injuries in the early days of his collegiate career and as a result was held out of last Sunday’s charity exhibition game at Dayton.
White said his conversations with White were good insight into life as a college basketball player.
“It was really good just getting his perspective,” he said. “We’re kind of from a similar area, his area being a little bit bigger so it was really nice to get his perspective on things and how he’s doing. He’s battling injuries and time management and everything like that so (I enjoyed) getting that side and getting ready for college, getting ready for things like that to happen and be able to fight through it.”
The official visit wasn’t White’s only trip to Columbus in October. Two weeks later, he was one of nine players on unofficial visits as Ohio State hosted Penn State in an Oct. 21 game at Ohio Stadium. As the recruits and coaches milled around on the sideline before the game, 6-11 center Malachi Moreno wrapped his left arm around White’s 6-6 frame.
The two played for the same AAU program last year, giving the four-star prospect in the 2025 class a direct connection to White.
“He’s one of the guys when I first got there (for AAU that) he’s a real friendly guy, big goofball,” White said. “Me and him kind of clicked right away and we’ve been talking and texting ever since. Him being there (at the game) was really cool. Hopefully we can make him a Buckeye.”
Alongside four-star guard John Paul “Juni” Mobley Jr., White currently comprises one half of Ohio State’s 2024 class. He is the No. 117 national prospect, the No. 5 player from Ohio and the No. 24 small forward prospect in the 247Sports.com rankings.
The Buckeyes are still in the mix for five-star center Jayden Quaintance, but otherwise they have started to prioritize the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes. On both of his trips, White was the only 2024 prospect in attendance.
“I know they’re obviously trying to get a good big next year,” he said. “I think they’re really going after some high-level wings like Darryn Peterson and Jerry Easter. I think the recruiting classes will be kind of like me and Juni this year but add another big in there. I think that’s the direction they’re looking at.”
Peterson, the No. 3 prospect in the 2025 class, was on an unofficial visit for the Penn State game. Easter, a four-star guard from Toledo who has transferred to La Porte (Indiana) La Lumiere, has also long held an Ohio State offer. When it comes to talking with potential future teammates, White said he keeps it pretty simple.
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“I have a good time with it and they know I have a good time with it,” he said. “I love talking to other guys about Ohio State. They always ask me, ‘Why Ohio State?’ I always tell them why I picked it. It’s just a place to call home. The legacy that’s been left here, you know you’re gonna get a great education and you’re gonna play top-notch basketball. I tell them why I committed and why it’s a good place for them.”
The season will soon get underway for White. As a junior, White had 18 points and seven rebounds but the Titans lost to Cleveland Heights Lutheran East, 67-61, in the Ohio Division III championship game. Practice begins Nov. 3, he said, and it can’t come soon enough.
“I’m ready,” he said. “Open gyms are starting to be like, all right, it’s time for games. I can’t wait for the season to start. Our team’s amped and I’m definitely excited to finish out the year strong and hopefully put up a gold trophy at the end.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State commitment Colin White's official visit 'felt like home'
