Transfer Spotlight – Rutgers S Brendon White
At CFB Saturdays we recognize that the landscape is always changing in College Football and the undeniable impact transfers have had on our beloved sport in recent history. Transfers have gone on to make College Football Playoff runs, win the Heisman, the National Championship, and become top NFL Draft Picks (Joe Burrow recently accomplished all of the above). Over the next few days, we will take a look at the potential impact of top transfers in 2020 in our Transfer Spotlight Series. Today we take a look at Rutgers S Brendon White.
The Emergence of Brendon White
Brendon White came to a loaded Ohio State secondary as a part of their 2017 recruiting class. He rarely played his freshmen season and entered the 2018 season as a backup. White had recorded only five tackles until a November match-up against Nebraska, where he was given an opportunity to start. It would be an understatement to say that White seized the opportunity. He finished the game with a team high 13 tackles and 2.0 TFL. He went on to start the remainder of the season and totaled 41 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 2 PBU, and 1 INT in the final six contests (including Nebraska).
White was an emerging star headed into the offseason and was fresh off being named the Defensive MVP in the Rose Bowl. There was a change at defensive coordinator as Greg Schiano and co-defensive coordinator Alex Grinch both left the Buckeyes. Greg Mattison and Jeff Hafley were named co-defensive coordinators and the subsequent scheme changes directly impacted White. White was competing to play a star/rover role, much closer to the line of scrimmage, but ultimately lost out to LB Pete Werner. The Buckeyes primarily played with three cornerbacks (2 1st rounders, and a likely 3rd in Shaun Wade) and one deep safety (Jordan Fuller to counter modern spread attacks. White’s playing time dwindled and he did not play in the final four games of the season.
Reuniting with his Previous Coach
Brendon White announced that he would be transferring to Rutgers after the season. Greg Schiano had recently been named the head coach at Rutgers were he previously had tremendous success. The Scarlet Knights need a major change and Schiano walks into a monumental task that will no doubt take a few seasons to rebuild.
From White’s perspective the move made sense on multiple fronts. White broke out playing in Schiano’s two high safety defense and had an established relationship with his former defensive coordinator. There is also a clear opportunity for immediate playing time and White is a likely starter at safety this season. Put those factors together and it becomes clear why Rutgers was a desired destination for White.
An Instinctive Player
Brendon White is a truly instinctive player that always seems to find his way to the ball. This is a coveted trait for any defender, but perhaps even more so at safety, where players have to make plays in space. White has excellent size (6’2” 215) and is a plus athlete that does not lack the desired athleticism for the position. White reads his keys quickly and is an excellent tackler in space. His ability to read plays quickly and close ground in a hurry allow him to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. The instincts are equally apparent when he is asked to cover the middle of the field as he shows the ability to take good angles and make plays on the ball. This is a very good player who should star on the back end of the Rutgers defense.
The main cause for concern in White’s game is a limited ability to cover receivers in man coverage in the slot. Most safeties struggle in this regard and White is no different. That being said, expect Schiano to scheme around this weakness and avoid asking White to man up in the slot. The situation is bound to arise, however, and seeing how White handles those duties will be something to monitor.
Immediate Star Power for the Rutgers Defense
It is no secret that the Rutgers roster needs major improvement over the next few years. However, that does not mean that the entire team is lacking talent. The defensive back room returns upperclassmen cornerbacks Avery Young and Tre Avery who have both played extensively. The unit also returns freshmen breakout Christian Izien (78 tackles) and fellow safeties Jarrett Paul (44 tackles) and Tim Barrow (43 tackles). With White in the fold the group adds a true difference maker who should complement the experienced players already on the roster.
Big Ten honorable mention Tyshon Fogg (104 tackles) returns at linebacker along with fellow starters Olakunle Fatukasi (85 tackles) and Tyreek Maddox-Williams (45 tackles). Transfer Drew Singleton and contributor Rashawn Battle round out the group to provide some depth. Sure there is plenty of room for improvement but the back seven is clearly better than it has looked in several seasons.
The back seven will need to be the strength of the defense as the defensive line, although experienced, is not a particularly formidable group. Expectations should be tempered with the team coming off a 2-10 season, but the addition of White provides the kind of star power Schiano needs to guide Rutgers back to relevance.
For more Rutgers Scarlet Knights content visit our team page here.
For more content like this don’t forget to subscribe to our website.
For the latest content follow us on twitter @saturdayscfb & @cfbsaturdaysC or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CFBSaturdays.
The Football Team Takes the Field image taken by slgckgc is licensed under CC BY 2.0
