Men’s basketball offers in-state forward, decision day for top 2024 linebacker target

In-state 2024 prospect lands OSU Hoops offer

The majority of the recruiting attention at this time of the year is focused on football. However, that doesn’t mean that Ryan Day’s squad is the only Ohio State program working the trail during the summer months. Chris Holtmann and the men’s basketball staff are also pursuing top-end talent to fill their current recruiting class and yesterday was another step in that direction, as the Buckeyes extended their latest offer in the 2024 class.

Taking to his Twitter account to share the news, in-state athlete Colin White (Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glandorf) is the next in line to hear from Holtmann and crew. A 6-foot-6, 180-pound small forward, White is currently ranked as the No. 152 player nationally and the 32nd best player at his position per the 247Sports Composite grades in the 2024 class. With double-digit offers to his name as well, it’s easy to see why Ohio State decided not to wait any longer and get in the mix officially.

The Buckeyes are arguably the biggest offer to his name, but some of the other programs also in the fold include Stanford, West Virginia, Richmond, Cincinnati, Butler, and others. In many cases, bigger offers can begin a domino effect of others entering the mix and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that be the case in this recruitment specifically.

Like football though, the Buckeyes look to keep the best in Ohio at home for their college years and Holtmann is looking to do the same with White. He is the No. 5 player in the state for the 2024 cycle, but the top four have already committed to other schools, including Marquette, Xavier, Purdue, and Michigan State.

Decision time for four-star linebacker target

In the very near future, Ohio State is going to learn its fate with several top targets in the 2024 class as they commit to the schools of their choice. In fact, later today the ball will stay rolling as four-star linebacker target Edwin Spillman (Nashville, Tennessee/Lipscomb Academy) will go public with his decision and the Buckeyes are definitely still in the mix.

Down to just Tennessee and Ohio State, Spillman has long been a focus of James Laurinaitis and Jim Knowles. However, it is likely that the Tennessee native stays home and picks the Volunteers. With over 30 major offers to his name though, for the Buckeyes to be this heavily under consideration for this duration of time, it does say a lot about the efforts put forth by the defensive coaching staff.

The No. 337 player nationally, Spillman is the 28th-best linebacker in the class per the 247Sports Composite grades. An absolute take for the Buckeyes in the 2024 cycle, it’s important to remember that even if Ohio State loses out on this commitment, it still is in a great position to land highly-touted target Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa when he makes his decision this coming Sunday as he chooses between the Buckeyes, Notre Dame, and USC; although the Fighting Irish have been rumored to be the pick in recent weeks. At any rate, the Buckeyes remain in a good spot with their linebacker haul and at 2:30 p.m. ET today, the staff will have an even better idea of where to go next.

Quick Hits:

• Per Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts.com, Ohio State will welcome back 2025 offensive line target Matty Augustine later this month when they host their Buckeye Summer Fest on July 28. A 6-foot-7, 280-pound offensive tackle, Augustine was last in Columbus in June for an unofficial visit when he was offered in-person by Ohio State’s staff.

Having a second trip planned to see the Buckeyes in as many months shows Matty’s legitimate interest in what Ohio State has to offer and with his position of critical need and depth in every cycle, Justin Frye is doing what he needs to show the Connecticut native that he is a priority for the 2025 class and someone they want.