One of the top remaining big men in the class of 2014, 6-foot-9 power forward/center Payton Dastrup was a prospect more than a few recruiting analysts expected to wind up at BYU. But in the end Ohio State won out, landing a verbal commitment (subscription required) from a player who won’t don the scarlet and gray until 2016.
Why won’t Ohio State have Dastrup until 2016? As a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, Dastrup will take his two-year LDS mission immediately after graduating from high school in the spring. Dastrup, who hails from Mesa, Ariz., picked Ohio State with BYU, Florida and Virginia being the other finalists. Dastrup took his official visit to the Big Ten school in mid-October.
Dastrup attends Mountain View High School, which according to Eleven Warriors is also the high school alma mater of former Ohio State quarterback Joe Germaine, and he’s considered to be a Top 100 prospect by many of the major scouting services.
Dastrup has the ability to score both inside and out, and once he arrives in Columbus in 2016 he’ll have Ohio State another interior option to call upon. Ohio State currently has four verbal commitments in its 2014 class with the fall signing period set to begin next Wednesday. The Buckeyes have received pledges from guard D’Angelo Russell, forwards Keita Bates-Diop and Jae’Sean Tate and center David Bell.
With the depth of the 2014 class and big men Marc Loving, Trey McDonald and Amir Williams all having eligibility remaining in 2014, Ohio State won’t be hurt in the depth department as Dastrup serves his LDS mission. Here are a few highlights of Dastrup in action.