COLUMBUS — Ohio State is still hot on the basketball recruiting trail and Sunday's commitment from John Mobley Jr. is more proof of that.

It's also proof of how powerful the pull of home can be.

Mobley, originally from Columbus, now leads the charge for Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) High School as a never-afraid-to-launch-it-from-anywhere point guard. He's made multiple returns to Ohio in the last six months to make visits with the Buckeyes and each trip brought him closer to the program that he grew up watching. He's the first 2024 commitment for Ohio State.

The No. 53-ranked overall prospect in the Class of 2024, Mobley was offered by Chris Holtmann's program back in June and picked the Buckeyes over Creighton, LSU, Arizona State and a few others. Sources close to the Ohio State program have indicated that the 6-foot, 160-pound guard was an absolute priority for the Buckeyes and that he could be the best shooting point guard ever evaluated by Holtmann and his staff.

It's that reputation as a shooter that John Mobley is known for. He's got an unnatural range and a willingness to get the ball up -- quickly -- from anywhere. He'll need to rein that in a bit inside the Buckeyes offense but the freedom to create on the floor is one of the things that makes him such a good fit for Ohio State.

The Buckeyes will have a very small 2024 recruiting class -- probably just two players -- and now with Mobley in the mix the focus will really narrow.

Ohio State has the No. 7-ranked haul in the country for the Class of 2023 and also inked the No. 7-ranked class in the 2022 cycle.