WATCH: Ohio State transfer Felix Okpara receives warm welcome as he arrives in Tennessee campus 

Former Ohio State Buckeyes center Felix Okpara committed to the Tennessee Volunteers. He finally visited the campus on Thursday where he was welcomed by his teammates and members of the staff.

The Vols posted a video of the various interactions by the center on Instagram.The post was captioned:

"Big man on campus @felix_okpara has arrived."

---

Why Felix Okpara chose the Vols

Felix Okpara had several reasons to join the SEC (Southeastern Conference) regular season champions, the Tennessee Volunteers, a move that seems like a homecoming for the center.

Okpara, who is originally from Lagos, Nigeria, went to Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chatanooga, giving him an attachment to the area. His parents also attended Tennessee.

In an interview with RTI, Okpara revealed why he chose to join the Tennessee Volunteers where he had lived before joining Ohio State.

“For me it was, one, it was close to home and two, after talking to the coaching staff and talking to Coach Barnes I felt like he is a genuine person who really wants the best for his players and wants to create a connection while also teaching and making them into a better person and better player,” Okpara said.

Brian Lentz, who is the Volunteers' Director of Player Development, also recruited the center from high school, establishing a prior relationship.

Felix Okpara played for the MOKAN Elite AAU program, where he was coached by Tennessee coach Rod Clark, giving him an all-round familiarity with a few of the Vols staff.

Okpara played basketball alongside Tennessee guard Cam Carr for the Link Academy in Missouri, giving him another prior attachment already in the team.

Okpara also added that coach Rick Barne's vision for his basketball future swayed him towards the Volunteers.

“He (Barnes) pretty much gave me the real deal and told me what I need to work on and what he could help me work on and how they foresee me and how they can make me a better player,” Okpara said.

“I feel like a lot of coaches don’t tell you that but with him, I just feel like I can trust him. I can see his record and the way he interacts (with players) and how his players speak highly of him.”

Okpara played for two years for the Buckeyes playing in 34 games, averaging 6.6 points and 6.4 rebounds for Ohio State.

With all the geographical attachments and personal relationships established by Felix Okpara in Tennessee, settling into the program should be easy for the big man.