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Papi White committed to Southern Miss just four days before visiting Ohio two weeks ago, but still went through with his visit to Athens, Ohio. It appears it went well. According to White's personal Twitter page, he is now an Ohio commit for the class of 2014.
Just confirmed with Seminole coach Mike Snyder that RB Papi White has changed his commitment from Southern Miss to Ohio #okpreps
— Scott Wright (@ScottWrightOK) February 1, 2014
Citing wanting to be the next version of anyone else (after tweets being sent to him about being the next Tracy Lampley) it appears White made this decision on Thursday, and Rivals confirms.
At just 5-9, 165 pounds the Seminole, Okla. product (Seminole High School) is too small to be an every down running back or receiver, but fits the mold of the do-it-all slot that Ohio, and other MAC schools have been recruiting heavily in the past few years. White is basically a slightly smaller version of Daz' Patterson, the 'Cats now junior running back/slot hybrid with lightening quick agility. White runs a 4.47 40-yard-dash according to his Rivals page.
This past season White ran for an eye-popping 3,220 yards and 41 touchdowns on 252 attempts (an average of 12.8 yards-per-carry) for the Class 3A Chieftains (the class two steps below Oklahoma's highest high school division). He also added another 253 yards and four scores through the air. He seems to have lined up out of the backfield the majority of the time in high school, using his plus acceleration and agility to out-run defenders, but he rarely ran between the tackles, mostly taking sweeps to the edge and sprinting past linebackers (here's his highlight tape).
It's unlikely he lines up in the backfield at Ohio, without adding some serious bulk, but with the Bobcats' offense likely to look significantly different this season (Tyler Tettleton is gone) Frank Solich could finally figure out a way to use these agile slot types that Patterson and White are built for. However, It's still probably most likely that White, despite his freakish athleticism, will redshirt this season. There are already some more prototypical running backs coming in, and the year could allow him to focus on adding mass while maintaining speed.
White's commitment gives Ohio 22 (depending on who you ask). With just three days left until National Signing Day, Ohio fans have plenty to get excited about when it comes to this 2014 class.
