Blue White Illustrated

H aving enrolled at Penn State this past January, defensive tackle An- toine White is well on his way to securing a spot on the team's depth chart. Although White didn't record any sta- tistics in the Blue-White Game in April, he did earn a starting spot on the White squad, becoming the only early-enrolling true freshman to do so. Heading into the 2014 season, many fans are no doubt look- ing for the freshman wideouts and of- fensive linemen to make an immediate impact, but those players aren't the only newcomers who will be expected to see action. White could end up receiving sig- nificant playing time this fall depending on how things shape up on the defensive line. White's high school coach, Jason Durham, said that's nothing new for the three-star prospect from Millville, N.J. "We brought Antoine with us every- where we went when he was a freshman," Durham said. "He didn't start then, but we played him whenever we got a chance. We knew way back then that he was going to be a special talent." Playing early in high school may not be the same thing as playing early in college, but White's performance the following year at Millville High showed that he was ready to take on a new chal- lenge. "He came in and started every game with us as a sophomore," Durham said. "That was one of our best seasons in recent memory. We won 11 games that year, and he played a big role in that. He was still young, but he really held his ground. "He wasn't quite yet the player he would become, but he definitely wasn't a weak- ness for us, and that was big. I think it would be similar at Penn State if they need him. I really think he could come in there and hold his ground if they need him. Sometimes, that's just as important as having that superstar. Just holding your ground can make a big difference some- times." It was during his junior year that White really started to blossom into the player he is now. He went on to earn 17 verbal scholarships offers, including an offer from Vanderbilt, which was coached by James Franklin at the time. He committed to Penn State last July, and while he briefly reconsidered in January following the team's coaching change, he followed though on his verbal pledge, enrolling at University Park on Jan. 13 and later taking part in winter workouts and spring prac- tice. White stands 6-foot-1, 286 pounds, but it wasn't his size or his bench press or sack count that drew the attention of so many schools. As with many members of Penn State's Class of 2014, it was his ma- turity that made the biggest impression on college coaches. "I think Antoine is great at balancing things, especially for a young man his age," Durham said. "He was able to bal- ance football and school. He also worked at a local pizza restaurant in town, as well as working with a personal trainer, doing things outside of our workouts as a team. "So he did a lot of things with not a lot of time to rest. I think that's one reason he's going to be so successful at college. He's very organized. He knows how to balance things out properly, and these coaches know that." In the coming years, experienced players such as Austin Johnson, Anthony Zettel and Deion Barnes are likely to be the mainstays of Penn State's defensive front four. But if Durham's praise for White holds true, look for him to become a key component of the unit that assistant coach Sean Spencer is assembling. "He's probably the perfect leader, to be honest. He has all the attributes that you want," Durham said. "He knows how to lead by example, but he's not afraid to voice his opinion with the team and lead the team vocally, too. "But he also has a touch on how to do that. He's not a guy who is always scream- ing at his teammates. He really knows how to respond to them, and I know that built a lot of respect for him with his teammates. I think that will definitely carry over to Penn State." ■ MAKING A STAND Antoine White has been shutting down offenses since his freshman year | U P C L O S E & P E R S O N A L THE WHITE FILE S T A T I S T I C S Finished with 80 tackles as a junior, including 14 tackles for loss. H O N O R S Was a second-team New Jersey All-State selection. ... Named the South Jersey Times Defensive Player of the Year. ... Received All-Conference recognition three consecu- tive years. ... Was rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com. CLICK HERE to see video of White in action.

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