FRESHMAN FOCUS:Â
DB Jaydon Hill |Â
QB Jalon Jones |Â
OL Kingsley Eguakun |Â
LB Jesiah Pierre |
OL Michael Tarquin
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – During the
SEC Network's coverage of National Signing Day on Wednesday, analyst Jordan Rodgers emphasized a key point in why Gators head coach
Dan Mullen was successful during nine seasons at Mississippi State.
"
Dan Mullen made his mark at Mississippi State by developing two- and three-star players nobody else wanted,'' Rodgers said.
Mullen speaks often about how identifying talent that measures high in his staff's grading system is paramount to whatever success he's had in his 10 years as a head coach. Sure, it definitely helps to load up on five- and four-stars on NSD if possible, but if you can develop players and they leave your program as four- and five-star talents, that's even better.
The Gators signed 25 players in the 2019 class, with 17 of those garnering four-star status according to
247Sports. One of those three-star players is offensive lineman Ethan White, the biggest member (6-foot-5, 390 pounds) in UF's class.
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White's size immediately catches your attention. In fact, that's how he broke into the game.
"Growing up I didn't really even know about football,'' he said. "The first time I even really knew about football was when I was like 11 years old and some coach from little league saw me and asked me to come out and practice. When I got there I had no idea what was going on. My first year playing football I was just a big kid who didn't know what I was doing."
White continued to grow and eventually became a teammate of Gators defensive back
Amari Burney at a small private school in Clearwater called Calvary Christian. In their final season together in 2017, Burney and White helped the Warriors advance to the Class 3A state playoffs and win a first-round game.
White got on Florida's radar soon after Mullen took over the program and he began to chart a course for his future. He transferred to another small private school in the Clearwater area, Superior Collegiate, for his senior year to prepare to become an early enrollee in January 2019.
White is one of nine mid-year enrollees who joined the Gators last month. Here is a Q&A with White in our ongoing series to introduce the mid-year enrollees here on
FloridaGators.com:
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Q: How would you describe the transition phase so far?
A: The transition for me hasn't been too hard because in high school I had a decent routine and schedule. The only real difference would be the lifting that we do. It's faster and at a higher pace. I've just got to get used to the different workouts that I haven't done before.
Q: Are these the most intense workouts you've ever done?
A: Yes. They haven't even gotten to the real hard stuff yet. I've just got to keep getting used to it.
Q: Why did you pick Florida?
A: It was multiple things for me. When the recruiting process started, I knew I didn't want to go too far from home. And then when Coach Mullen took over at Florida, I came in and I saw what the staff was like and what they were trying to do with the program, and that was something I wanted to be a part of.
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Freshman offensive lineman Ethan White.
Q: Did you have any contact with Coach Mullen when he was at Mississippi State?
A: No.
Q: Who were your main recruiters to come here?
A: Coach [John] Hevesy and Coach [Christian] Robinson.
Q: How did the team's season impact your decision?
A: Committing before the season, that was something I kind of expected. I didn't know it was going to be that much of an improvement, winning a New Year's Six bowl. I expected Coach Mullen to come in and change things right away. I didn't think it would take too long.
Q: What's a good spring camp for you in your first few months on campus?
A:Â I hope just to get physically ready to compete with the guys who have been here for three or four years. Mentally, I just want to learn the plays, learn the technique to be able to compete for the starting spots.
Q: When someone describes you as a player, what are they probably going to say?
A: I'd say physical. I need to work on technique. Obviously, everybody does, but I think the thing that stands out about me is the physicality, trying to move someone as far as I can and just plant them in the ground.
Q: How did you end up as an offensive lineman?
A: I've always been big. Since little league I've played O-line.
Q: What about playing the O-line appeals to you?
A: It's funny, because O-line is the one position that doesn't get as much recognition as everywhere else. It's just nice to know you're that you're the reason something works on the offense. A running back gets 1,000 yards, you feel good because you helped him do that, or your quarterback is having a good game. You're like the facilitator for the people around you.
Q: Best day on a football field?
A: Probably in PAL [Police Athletic League]. We went to the game before the championship and we were supposed to lose because the other team was undefeated. We had like three of four losses and we came out and beat them like 40-6.
Q: What do you cherish most from your high school career?
A: My first two years I went to a school that was not really known for football and I took pride in that, trying to build it up there. My junior year we went to the playoffs and we won the first playoff game in school history.
Q: What's something a lot of people don't know about you?
A: I like fishing.
Q: What's the biggest fish you've ever caught?
A: Probably a shark. I don't know how big, but it was a big shark.
Q: How much motivation do you have knowing the offensive line is a position that is wide open?
A: With four offensive linemen [enrolled early], I think it's nice because you're not the only one here trying to adjust. You've got other guys that can help you get used to everything. You can compete with those other guys and that's part of it. It will help you become a better player by just having better competition.
Q: What is your primary academic interest at this point?
A: I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking something maybe in sports management.
Q: Play other sports growing up?
A: I played a little basketball, but it wasn't anything serious. It was just for fun.
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