Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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58 MARCH 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY DAVID MCKINNEY Anyone with an older brother can relate to Drew White. Growing up, little brothers watch their big brothers and want to grow up to be exactly like them. White is no different. For the past few years, White has been glued to the TV on Saturday afternoons, watching his older brother Sean start at quarterback for Auburn. White beams with pride when he watches his brother, a redshirt junior, face off against the likes of Georgia, Alabama and the rest of the SEC. As he prepares to head to Notre Dame as a freshman linebacker, White said he wouldn't have become the player he was today if not for his big brother. "A lot of my motivation comes from my older brother," White said. "I learned from him. I live in a foot- ball family. We've all played football since I was around 7 years old. "We were always around little league, and when we both went to high school, we were both really competitive." White said he remembers watching his brother becoming a much sought- after quarterback recruit and wanted to one day go through that process himself. "Sean just took off in high school, and that ultimately led to college," White said. "That really pushed me to want to go to the next level as well. He pushes me to be my best. He's a great older brother and mentor. "He teaches me what to do and what not to do. He's prob- ably my biggest moti- vation." While his brother was ranked as a four-star talent and the No. 4 pro-style quarterback in his class by Rivals, White comes into college as three-star prospect with no national or positional rankings. The Florida product said the low rankings are nothing new to him. "I've always kind of been over- looked, starting when I was a kid," White said. "I've never had ginor- mous size, huge height or huge weight where someone has looked at me and thought, 'Oh my gosh, he's a great linebacker.' "I definitely have to prove it, and I think I've earned ev- ery bit of it." He certainly made his case in his final year at St. Thomas Aquinas. White re- c o r d e d 1 0 7 t o t a l stops (63 solo) and two tackles for a loss, and was named to the USA Today's All- Florida first team. Though he does feel he's underrated, White said he tries to just focus on being the best player and person possible. "There's definitely that part of it, but on the other side, I really just try to bring out my best," White said. "I've always had some kind of in- ternal conflict with myself to do the best I can and not really try to meet anyone's standards that they try to put on me." ✦ DREW WHITE INSIDE LINEBACKER 6-1 • 220 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS BOCA RATON, FLA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — — — ✪ ✪ ✪ — 17 84 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 14 38 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 35 60 STATISTICS • Led St. Thomas Aquinas in tackles (107), solo stops (63), assists (44) and tackles per game (8.2) as a senior. Added three passes broken up, two blocked punts and one fumble recovery. • Was part of a St. Thomas Aquinas defense that allowed only 9.4 points per game and recorded five shutouts last fall. • In a 2016 game against Las Vegas Bishop Gor- man, the USA Today's No. 1 team in the country, recorded 14 tackles (11 solo). • Recorded 59 total tackles and 12.5 tackles for a loss as a junior. • For his career, compiled 177 total tackles, 116 solo stops and 18.5 tackles for a loss. HONORS • Selected to USA Today's 2016 All-USA Florida first team. • Picked to the 2016 Associated Press Class 7A All-State second team. • Named to The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's 2016 All-Broward County first team for Classes 8A-7A-6A. • Tabbed as a 2016 first-team All-Broward County performer by The Miami Herald. RECRUITMENT • Gave his verbal commitment to Notre Dame on March 21, 2016, two days after being offered. • Also received offers from LSU, Michigan and Ohio State, among others. • Took his official visit to campus after the sea- son Jan. 20. • Primarily recruited by defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Mike Elston. NOTABLE • Born Sept. 15, 1998. • St. Thomas Aquinas was a three-time Florida Class 7A state champion during his time there. In 2016, St. Thomas Aquinas was 13-2 and finished at No. 9 in the USA Today national rankings. • His brother Sean White is a redshirt junior quarterback at Auburn University. • Is the fourth St. Thomas Aquinas player to sign with Notre Dame since 2006. 2017 PROJECTION • Notre Dame is loaded at linebacker, which means White will likely preserve a season of eligibility. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "Drew comes from a winning program. He's a winner." Linebackers coach Clark Lea: "When I turned his highlights on, it took just a couple clips before I knew he was special. When I got the job and knew I was going to be coaching him, I was fired up. … He's a great tackler, a great finisher, and has a knack for finding the ball at the line of scrimmage. "All the things we look for in a box linebacker, he shows on tape. Combine that with his intellectual capacity — he's going to learn the defense fast — and the sky is the limit." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "White lacks ideal size, but his instincts are elite. He makes ex- tremely quick reads and constantly beats blockers to the point of attack. The most underrated part of his game is his athleticism. He covers a lot of ground and changes direction with ease. "White's athleticism and instincts will serve him well in new defensive coordinator Mike Elko's run stunts and blitzes. His range and coverage skills make him a good fit for the Buck position. If he can develop the necessary strength, and if he can fill out his frame, he will outperform his recruiting rankings." Rivals national recruiting director Mike Farrell: "Likely an inside linebacker at the next level, he has good instincts and reads the play well. He's especially effective against the run as he rarely chooses the wrong path to the football." Drew White Is Out To Prove His Doubters Wrong White, who was tabbed as a three-star prospect by Rivals, hopes to outplay his rankings at Notre Dame. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS