Devin White Nickname - Weapon X

I bookmarked this article the day I read it. I knew this kid was going to be special.

Ladies and Gentlemen Devin White aka


Weapon X

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It's no secret that interested college coaches have the same conversations about Devin White. Is he a linebacker at the next level, or a running back? Perhaps an H-back? Maybe a hybrid defensive end? When discussing White, the answer is simple. Yes. Yes to all. And then some.

"Effectively, I can play linebacker, wide receiver, running back, anything on special teams, wherever," said White, a 4-star athlete from North Webster High School in Springhill, Louisiana. "I'm going to work hard at everything just for the team. I'd play tight end just to give the team an extra boost, because I like to win."

In the world of recruiting, White is a Swiss army knife of sorts, a jack-of-all-trades athlete who is expected to see early playing time because of the multiple ways he can be used on the field—on both sides of the ball. Few athletes at any level of competition have the combination of power, speed, athleticism, elusiveness and versatility White possesses. In fact, members of the media began calling White "Weapon X" while at The Opening in Oregon last month.

The moniker fits. For starters, he's 6'1" and 255 pounds, but he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds at The Opening. He also was one of the strongest participants at the event, throwing the power ball 44 feet. Only three playersthrew it further. And then there's White's athleticism: He showed his leaping ability with a 37.9-inch vertical in Oregon. In short, he's an enigma.

"I think he's one of the more unique athletes that we've seen over the first five years of The Opening," said Brian Stumpf, vice president of football events for Student Sports, which puts on The Opening and the Elite 11. "You don't often find that combination of build and athletic ability, and it will be fascinating to see what position he ends up matriculating to at the next level as he continues to physically mature."

Versatile from the start?

White originally thought he'd be the next great wide receiver. As a youngster playing Pop Warner ball, he was a go-to option as an outside receiver. "I was a real skinny cat and kind of tall," White said. "That's where the catching came in. I've always been able to catch by playing wide receiver. I used to run a lot of routes. That's how it started." As White got older, he got bigger. And stronger. By the time he started high school, he was a burly athlete who coaches felt fit best as a linebacker. His opportunity to play running back came when one of his teammates was injured. "I was the man to step up," he said, "and I loved it back there." As a junior, White rushed for 2,287 yards and 30 touchdowns. He had 1,094 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns as a sophomore. "I'm coming downhill with power," said White, who averaged better than eight yards per carry last season. "If you don't want to tackle me, I'll find you. But it isn't just about running people over. I've got good footwork in the hole. I can make people miss, run a toss sweep outside and catch passes. "The defense better blitz every gap, because they have 255 pounds coming at them full speed."

White is scary at running back, but then there's his work at linebacker. He finished his junior year with 93 tackles. He had 99 tackles as a sophomore. White is a top-80 player who some feel would have a more promising college career on the defensive side of the ball. But ask White, and it's no secret that he loves having the football in his hand. I'm comfortable at linebacker, and I actually think that position is really easy for me," he said, "but I prayed about it, and I don't want to play it (in college). I'm focused on teams recruiting me to play running back."

Stumpf added, "I think staying at his weight currently, he's an ideal 3-4 inside linebacker who can take on blockers and also run sideline to sideline. But we also know that running back is in his heart."

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