Why I put in a crystal ball for Zamir White and Ohio State
I wrote
a story earlier Tuesday about the players I think will end up with the Buckeyes come signing day. The piece focused on the offense and included 5-star running back Zamir White, the country’s top-ranked running back and a player who is widely believed to be heading to the University of Georgia.
I
added a 247Sports.com crystal ball prediction for White — to Ohio State — on Tuesday afternoon.
I have talked a few times recently about White, and how I felt that things were much closer than people were letting on. I’ve been told by multiple people (on different sides of this recruitment) that the player prefers Ohio State. Those rumors were always paired with this asterisk: White’s mother, Shanee, reportedly favored Georgia, and the two have been to Athens more than they’ve been anywhere, by a long shot.
While White and his mom have been to Columbus three times in the last year, the physical distance between Ohio State and his other top schools is something to consider, and all indications were that mom preferred him to stay close to his North Carolina home. That information, coupled with the fact that White is committing on June 27, his mother’s birthday, was something that had to be considered as
the driving force in his recruitment.
Over the last few weeks, though, sources have indicated a softening stance toward Ohio State, providing a new wave of optimism on the Buckeyes’ side of things. Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and running backs coach Tony Alford are not going to give up the fight for White — who is a perfect fit for their offense — if they believe they have a chance to change mom’s mind (if it needs changing). The Buckeyes believe that they are capable of landing any player in the country, but their recruiting staff doesn’t waste time and resources on a player unless the Buckeyes are in a serious position to land a commitment.
There are multiple people close to this situation who feel Ohio State has been the team to beat for White for a while. With a little less than a month remaining in this pursuit, everything is moving in the right direction. There’s no plan for a June visit to Ohio State. If that were to happen, it would be a
major sign that this smoke is turning into fire.
I am not someone who lives and dies by the “crystal ball” choices, and I rarely make one. With a player of this magnitude, though, I wanted to expound on my decision. A lot can change, and the decision date remains a concern if his mom isn’t on board with Ohio State. But I believe that’s where this is heading.
They're still a big threat, and this is a super recruit so it's far from done, but the optimism is deafening.
