DaShaun

White

“The two things I look for in linebacker prospects right off the bat are coverage ability and athleticism—White checks both of those boxes quite nicely,” Farabaugh writes of the 6-foot, 224-pound junior, adding that he is “slippery around blocks, a good gap penetrator, and a steady processor.” The analyst’s biggest concern with White comes in terms of shoddy tackling and work-in-progress technique. Farabaugh believes that if White’s ready to level up this season, he has the talent to land as a top-five linebacker in next spring’s draft (assuming a declaration).

White (6'0/224) was used at both spots in the spring due to the lower body injury suffered by starter Caleb Kelly, who he was originally expected to back up. Kelly is going to miss a significant portion of the upcoming season, opening the door for players such as White, Ryan Jones and Bryan Mead to step forward. White, Mead and Kenneth Murray were all used at both MIKE and WILL during the spring. “Those guys that are pretty savvy have a chance to be able to play both of them because in the same room and when we talk about it, it’s kind of a whole defensive point of view, so everybody in that room should know both positions. It shouldn’t be that big of a learning curve for him,” Oklahoma LB coach Brian Odom said. White appeared in 14 games as a freshman, accounting for 13 total tackles.

Kelly is out with a lower body injury, and White is going to get the first looks at the position. A four-star signing back in 2018, White played in five games last year for the Sooners and made 13 tackles. Even if Kelly is healthy, it wouldn’t be a surprise if White got significant playing time in 2019.

Texas just recently offered to White, so it’s fair to wonder whether they have enough time to make a real dent in his recruitment. Oklahoma, however, could be a true threat to the Aggies. The 6-foot, 220-pounder has a visit to Norman scheduled and was seriously considering a commitment to OU before he ultimately sided with Texas A&M. He ranks as Rivals’ No. 31 outside linebacker prospect in the 2018 class.

White made the decision on Saturday, flipping his recruitment from the Aggies to the Sooners and adding on to what has been a very impressive recruiting class for Oklahoma. 247 Sports ranks him as the 16th best outside linebacker in the class, and the 29th best player in the state of Texas.