Blue White Illustrated

WHAT HE DID A highly versatile athlete, White projects as a wide receiver at the college level, but he also excelled at quarterback for Malvern Prep. As a jun- ior, he ran for 1,065 yards and 15 touch- downs, threw for 796 yards and nine TDs, and caught 10 passes for 108 yards and a score. During the Friars' COVID- shortened 2020 season, he had 17 catches for 369 yards and four TDs while adding 94 yards and two TDs on the ground. Described by coach Dave Gueriera as a "once-in-a- generation" athlete, White owns the school record for most career rushing yards by a quarterback. He also played defense and finished with three interceptions in four games last fall. And he was a four-year letterman in base- ball and basketball. WHAT HE WON White is a four-star prospect according to Rivals.com, as well as the No. 247 overall player nationally, the No. 44 wide receiver and the No. 10 player in Pennsylvania. He was the team MVP fol- lowing his junior and senior seasons, winning Chester County Player of the Year honors in 2020 and All-State notice in 2019. He captured Inter-Academic League All-Conference honors both years and was a three-time Chester County All-Area choice. WHERE HE VISITED White followed an unusual path to Penn State. An out- standing three-sport athlete at Malvern Prep, he initially committed to Clemson as a baseball prospect, intending to play center field for the Tigers. All the while, he was garnering football offers. The first offers were from Boston College, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Vanderbilt. By April 2020, a number of Big Ten schools joined the chase, including Penn State, Michi- gan, Michigan State and Indiana. He picked the Nittany Lions in May, in part because of the relationships he had de- veloped with receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield and head coach James Franklin. He intends to play football and baseball at Penn State. QUOTABLE White: "I just thought that it felt right. I really like their coaches and I've been there a few times. I've been to a game, I've been to a camp. All of that was really good. When I was at the game, it just felt right for me. It was electric there. Everything was nice." PHIL'S TAKE White might be under- rated, even though he's a consensus four-star prospect and was even ranked by one recruiting service as the No. 71 overall prospect in the Class of 2021. In my opinion, he's the best pure athlete in Penn State's class. He stands 6-foot-2, 201 pounds but still has 4.6-second or better 40-yard speed and a reported 37- inch vertical leap. One of his best assets as a wide receiver is that he has a great pair of hands. He even has the athletic ability to play the boundary cornerback position in the secondary. White is a possible early-round selection in the Major League Baseball draft but says he wants to play both football and baseball at Penn State. I believe he has an excel- lent chance to see action his freshman year at the X-WR position. He can stretch the field vertically and has the talent to play professionally in football or baseball. ■ ALL-AROUND ATHLETE White played three sports and multiple posi- tions on the football field at Malvern Prep. He set a school record for most ca- reer rushing yards by a quarterback. Photo by Ryan Snyder Penn State Athletics LONNIE WHITE JR. RIVALS ★★★★ | POS WR | HT 6-2 | WT 201 | HOME Coatesville, Pa. | SCHOOL Malvern Prep >>

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