Scarlet Sunrise: What we learned about signings of Juni Mobley, Colin White
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What we learned about signings of Juni Mobley, Colin White
With National Signing Day in the rear view mirror, Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann can finally speak on record about the specifics of his 2024 class, which is currently ranked 37th nationally and seventh in the Big Ten, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
The Buckeyes signed four-star guard Juni Mobley from Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, and three-star wing Colin White from Ottawa-Glandorf in Ottawa, Ohio.
“Juni’s as good a shooter as we have added since we’ve been here,” Holtmann said Thursday. “He is dynamic shooting the ball, and he’s maybe the best kid at his age I’ve seen shooting threes off the bounce. He can really, really shoot the ball and score the ball. And his size doesn’t limit him because he’s got great range. He’s just a fantastic offensive player, and he’s grown in other areas of his game.”
Holtmann continued: “And then Colin, we love what Colin’s gonna bring. We just really do. He’s tough, and he’s a physical player. He’s got good length, good positional size, he shot it better these last couple years. He’s gonna really help our program. And he loves Ohio State. We’re really thrilled with both guys. We really are.”
Mobley, the No. 42 overall prospect in the cycle, was born in Rochester, New York, but lived in Reynoldsburg — a suburb of Columbus — from when he was 4 years old until the pandemic rolled around. That’s when he moved to Las Vegas, where he played at Bishop Gorman. Mobley — currently listed at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds — has since transferred to Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah.
Holtmann was asked Thursday about the advantage of Mobley playing at Wasatch Academy, and if it’s like current Ohio State freshman Scotty Middleton — a Miami, Florida, native — finishing his high school career at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kansas.
“It certainly helps,” Holtmann said of those kinds of late high school transfers. “When you’re a kid like those guys are, like most of our guys are, they’re the best player on their team in high school. When they play in their state at a particular high school, they’re typically one of the best players or the best player. And there’s value in that. Devin [Royal] played on a great team and won a state championship and got to the state finals. There’s real value in that.
“I think the value in going and playing against the kind of competition that Juni will play against, Scotty [played against], (1) [they’ll be] really well coached and (2) you play with other good players, so you understand when you get to college, you’re gonna play with other good players. You got to figure out how to make your strengths and add value to the team. Scotty I think learned that when he was at Sunrise, for sure.”
Mobley committed to Ohio State 10 months before White. He also received an offer long before White.
And, as Holtmann emphasized Thursday, Ohio State was at one point considering only a one-player class this cycle. That’s because the Buckeyes signed a combined nine players in their last two classes and are already underclassman heavy.
But after continuing to evaluate White in-state, Holtmann and his staff extended the offer, which White worked tirelessly for, according to the seventh-year Ohio State head coach. That drawn-out process can happen, Holtmann explained, but transparency is key in those situations.
“We said, ‘Hey, Colin, for us, we want to make sure if we bring you in, we know you’re going to be a guy that we feel like you really impact our team and our roster,'” Holtmann said. “And when we felt like that, we were all in. And we might have felt like that a little bit sooner than when we actually offered him. But we were just trying to be really thorough in that process.
“He’s a good player. He’s a prideful kid. So I understood where he was coming from, too. Like, ‘Coach, is it going to happen or not?’ But I’m just really glad we got to the point where we’re able to see him and evaluate him because I think he’s really going to help our program.”
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White, the sixth-rated prospect in Ohio this cycle, impressed during Ohio State’s high school team camp in June. Last season, he led Ottawa-Glandorf to the Division III state title game last season. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing scored 18 points in that outing, albeit in a loss to Lutheran East. He was also part of a runner-up squad the year before. White committed to Ohio State in August. He chose the Buckeyes over Northwestern, Butler, Cincinnati and TCU.
‘He goes hard every play’: Jack Sawyer a stealth force behind Ohio State defense
To truly appreciate the impact of Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer, you might have to watch the game twice.
What some don’t see is Sawyer’s ability to control things at the line of scrimmage, get off blocks, set the edge and make stops against the run.
“Guys in the media and people who just watch the game, they want to see the big sack stats, which is good,” Sawyer said Wednesday. “But we’re focused on winning games and playing good defense.”
Sawyer is helping the Buckeyes do that.
Check out this story on how Sawyer is a stealth force for the Ohio State defense in 2023.
Emeka Egbuka learned from absence, back to full speed for important November stretch
Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka made his return to the field last weekend at Rutgers after a three-game absence.
He had never missed a game in his football career before that stretch, which started with a Week 6 ankle injury against Maryland. The junior spoke Wednesday about his time away from the action and what he learned from that experience.
“I was able to support my team in a way that I hadn’t before,” Egbuka said. “You know, because you have a different role, you have a role in supporting and coaching the younger dudes, so that they’re ready for when that moment comes. So like I said, I’ve learned a lot. I’m super grateful for this moment, I’m grateful to be here, and I’m grateful to be playing again.”
For the full story, go here.
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