Ohio wide receiver Papi White looked like himself at practice Monday, hauling in a 40-yard go route down the left sideline from quarterback Nathan Rourke.
Upon closer examination at the end of practice, White, a redshirt junior who hasn’t played since leaving Ohio’s Sept. 16 game against Kansas with a hand injury, sported a left hand enlarged by padding as evidence of what’s kept him off the field.
“This is an extra large (football glove),” White said, lifting his arm. He laughed as he added, “I wear mediums.”
Ohio coach Frank Solich announced Monday that White will return this weekend when Ohio hosts Kent State at 2 p.m. Saturday. White was the team’s receiver to watch entering this season, as the player with the most receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns among returning players.
But in Ohio’s third game of the year, he suffered a spiral fracture in his hand. White was hit by a Kansas defender and when he put his hand down to brace himself, he made a sudden twisting movement that caused the injury.
Without their top target, the Bobcats have sputtered to 184.6 passing yards per game, which is 10th in the Mid-American Conference. White said he’s enjoyed cheering his team on from the sideline, but he knows what he’s capable of when he’s back in the mix.
“I could bring a little more explosive plays and big plays,” he said.
Once his hard cast came off, White underwent a series of rehab activities to test the strength of his hand, including dumbbell wrist curls, squeezing a stress ball and spreading his fingers through a jelly-like substance.
He looked as if he might return this past weekend at Bowling Green, where he took part in warm ups and donned his jersey and pads. He never played, however, and Solich said after the game that White had been a decoy to make Bowling Green “rethink some things.”
White has that kind of impact.
There will be nothing for the Golden Flashes to rethink this weekend. They’ll have to prepare for the Bobcats highest-scoring skill player from a year ago, who led the team with nine touchdowns.
White said he didn’t rush himself back to the lineup. But it’d be understandable if he had.
The top of the Bobcat receiving depth chart has suffered, with Elijah Ball tearing his ACL in fall camp and leading receiver Brendan Cope (26 catches for 347 yards) battling a nagging turf toe injury that has kept him out of most practices recently.
Cope, in an effort to work back to full health, won't play until he can return to practice, Ohio offensive coordinator Tim Albin said.
“Some guys are practicing that aren't 100 percent and they're making it to the games not 100 percent,” Solich said. “We're going to try and get some guys healthier, and getting Papi back will be a plus.”
