One of the fastest-rising in-state offensive linemen in the 2024 class is starting to appear on Ohio State’s radar.
Four-star Akron prospect William Satterwhite has seen his recruitment explode over the past month, as the 6-foot-5, 290-pound prospect has picked up offers from Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Duke, Minnesota, Penn State and Miami (OH) over the last 31 days and holds 11 Division I offers overall.
Satterwhite was one of the in-state prospects Ohio State offensive line coach Justin Frye made it a priority to visit on the recruiting trail, as he stopped by Archbishop Hoban on Dec. 5 to check in on the Akron standout.
“He was trying to touch base and start the relationship-building process,” Satterwhite told Eleven Warriors of Frye’s visit. “Then we talked about me trying to come to OSU for a junior day in either late spring or January.”
Satterwhite has only recently reappeared on Ohio State’s radar, as last week was one of the first times the offensive lineman prospect had spoken to Frye. He also connected with the program's offensive line coach after completing a workout at a recruiting camp in Columbus in June.
Kinda late, but wanted to say thanks to @CoachJFrye @CoachSollenne for the great camp experience on 15th. I appreciate everything yall taught me pic.twitter.com/tDQWvlPkn0
— William Satterwhite (@WilliamSatt50) June 21, 2022
“I learned a lot about footwork and to keep my feet moving,” Satterwhite said of his camp experience. “And also not letting the defense get to my chest first and to fire off the ball.”
In his breakout junior season, Satterwhite played right tackle for Archbishop Hoban, helped lead the team to a 14-2 record and was an honorable mention for the All-Ohio Division II team.
“For me personally, I’d probably say my length,” Satterwhite said regarding his biggest strength as an offensive lineman. “When guys hit me inside or outside, I’m still able to use my hands. And also my quickness (is a strength) as well, for my size, I’m pretty quick.” As a sophomore, the 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive lineman played guard, so the transition to the outside was a work in progress in the summer for Satterwhite.
“I worked hard from last year to this year moving from guard to tackle,” Satterwhite said. “During the season, I really improved a lot with the help of my coach. I’m just trying to be the best player I can be in the best way possible. In our offense, you had to pull a lot as a guard. So I went from pulling basically every play to not pulling and blocking man-to-man. It was definitely a big change to get used to the first couple weeks of the season.”
While Satterwhite converted to a tackle for his high school in his junior season, his future is likely as an inside offensive lineman should he end up at Ohio State one day.
“(Coach Frye) told me he sees me at guard or maybe even center,” Satterwhite said. “He said I have the IQ to play center as well, so it’s between guard and center. I’ve played pretty much every spot on the offensive line, so I don’t think I’d have a problem switching in college.”
Satterwhite grew up primarily rooting for two college teams, Ohio State and Penn State. The Nittany Lions made their offer to the Ohio prospect on Nov. 26, and it’s an opportunity Satterwhite was thankful to receive.
“It was great. I actually told the coaches they’re in my top schools, so it was great to get an offer from there,” Satterwhite said of the offer from the Nittany Lions.
Im very honored to have received my 9th D1 offer and a Full Scholarship to play at one of my dream schools @PennStateFball Special Thanks to, @CoachTrautFB @chrismahon_ @coachjfranklin pic.twitter.com/4IczebS27V
— William Satterwhite (@WilliamSatt50) November 26, 2022
Satterwhite still longs for an Ohio State offer, though, as he had vivid memories of watching the Buckeyes play against Michigan with his family growing up, an experience he called the most captivating as a fan.
“It would probably be the best thing to ever happen to me,” Satterwhite said of getting a potential Ohio State offer. “Growing up in Ohio, you’ve always wanted to play for Ohio State.”
Satterwhite is in no rush to make a decision, as his recruitment will likely go into his senior season. With his late rise, he could have plenty of options to choose from over the next several months.
