Devin White Interview 1/8 (May play Linebacker)

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Devin White admitted LSU's loaded backfield sparked brief doubts whether he saw himself playing his college football in Baton Rouge. But as the North Webster star described his relationships with the Tigers' coaching staff — on both sides of the ball — following his signing with the program Friday, he said he wouldn't be opposed to playing linebacker, either. "When I mentioned it to them, talking about linebacker, (coach Les Miles) was OK with it, because from a coaching standpoint, it's your decision, it's what you want to play. But in the long run, he felt like I could be a better all around running back because of my size and speed — it doesn't come around every day." Most conversations with LSU coaches remain centered on offense, White said. But the 6-foot-1, 245-pound standout, the No. 2 prospect in the NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune "Nifty 50" statewide Class of 2016 rankings said he wouldn't hesitate to play either side of the football. The Tigers will lose two senior starters in Deion Jones and Lamar Louis from this past season's team, with speculation varying as to whether junior middle linebacker Kendell Beckwith might declare early for this year's NFL Draft. "It's running back, but if God feels like I need to go to linebacker and need to go hit some people next year, then I will do that," he said. "I really don't have a preference right now. I just wanna play, and I just feel like that's where I wanna play at. And whatever it is, I'm gonna be happy with it, and I'm gonna understand the person. "So if (running backs) coach Frank (Wilson) says, 'Hey, go in the defensive staff room,' I will be in there with no ifs, ands or buts about it." White also mentioned his excitement to play a major role on LSU's special teams units as a priority as he explained his relationship with all of the team's coaches. "Coach (Bradley Dale) Peveto, every time I came down there, I told him, 'I wanna be a special teams contributor,'" White said. "Coach (Corey) Raymond, I told him that his defensive backs can't hold me. (Former defensive coordinator Kevin) Steele, when he was there, we talked a lot, and I just told him that I could play (linebacker), too. "And every coach, (tight ends) coach (Steve) Ensminger, that's my recruiter, and I love that man to death. He stuck his head on a limb for me sometimes, just to make sure I was OK mentally, and most people didn't do that for me. The whole coaching staff has laid their hand on me, and it just made me feel the love even more. And they made my family a priority as well."

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