BOOOM! Ohio State men’s basketball lands commitment from No. 5 player in Ohio, Colin White

Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State men’s basketball coaching staff are hot on the recruiting trail this summer, forging forward to complete their 2024 recruiting class as the season nears. With a glut of guards on the roster who could conceivably still be on the team for two to three more years, the Buckeyes turned to a local product to add depth to their forward corps.

Colin White, the No. 5 player in the state of Ohio in the 2024 class, officially announced his commitment to Ohio State on Sunday afternoon, becoming the second member of Holtmann’s 2024 class.

He becomes the second member of Ohio State’s 2024 class, next to John Mobley Jr. White is a 6-foot-6, three-star small forward from Ottawa-Glandorf High School in northwest Ohio. He is the No. 153 player in the class according to 247Sports Composite, the No. 33 small forward, and the No. 5 player in Ohio. 247Sports’ own rankings has him a bit higher, as the No. 115 player, No. 26 small forward, and the No. 4 player in Ohio. White chose the Buckeyes over Cincinnati, TCU, Butler, and Northwestern on Sunday.

As a junior at OGHS, he was named first-team All-Ohio (Division III) and was named the regional and district player of the year, as well as the conference player of the year in the Western Buckeye League. He averaged 21.1 points per game last season, helping lead his team to a state runner-up finish.

White has been on Ohio State’s radar for some time now, but the Buckeyes did not officially offer him until last month. The coaching staff has seen him play and gave White specific feedback on his game if they were to offer him, including his shooting and defense. He spoke to Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch last month about this, saying:

“They’ve wanted to see a few different things from me and I feel like I showed that throughout the spring and the summer, some new facets to my game, and that’s really helped in our relationship,” White said of the Ohio State staff. “We’re always very transparent with each other, so that’s also very good.”

After the Ohio State offer last month, White outlined a timeline for a decision that painted a list of finalists in August, followed by a decision in October, before his senior season began. This timeline was moved up quite a bit, and it’s not a coincidence that Ohio State’s offer and involvement with White sped up the timeline. As an Ohio kid who worked hard to earn an offer from his home state school, the choice was quick and easy.

The only forwards that are projected to be on the Ohio State roster next season are Devin Royal and Kalen Etzler, with Jamison Battle departing. White will be in a position to earn playing time as a freshman alongside Royal in the fall of 2024.

With the addition of White, Ohio State now has the No. 3 recruiting class in the Big Ten for 2024, behind Rutgers and Purdue.