For the second time in three years the Arizona State coaching staff has proven once again that they travel across three time zones and venture go into Big Ten and ACC territory and successfully land the top running back recruits in the area.

They did so in the 2020 class securing Akron, Ohio’s Chip Trayanum, and today 2022 North Stafford (Va.) High School four-star running back Tevin White announced that he has committed to the Sun Devils. White becomes the third four-star prospect Arizona State pledge in this group and the fifth commit overall in ASU’s 2022 recruiting class.

With an offer sheet littered with schools from every power five conference, White’s selection of the Sun Devils is naturally one of significant proportions.

North Stafford High School assistant football coach and recruiting coordinator John Harris believes White will see the field early on in Tempe. He explained that White’s ability to be a multi-dimensional back makes him unique in comparison to many other running backs in the country.

“He’s a big back; he’s about 6’1 207-pounds,” said Harris. “He has excellent hands, he already understands blitz pick-ups as a running back, he can chip defensive linemen, this guy can block…He’s a big back with small back abilities, and that’s what sets him apart.

“He’s not just a good player when the footballs in his hands. He’s also a guy that can line up at multiple spots; you don’t have to teach him more than once to do something. Any kid, especially when they’re young, if you know where to line up everywhere on the field, you’ll have the best chance at playing. I think that will get him on the field early.”

White is seen consistently outrunning defenses or running through opposing defenders on tape with a great combination of speed and power. White does a great job of squaring his shoulders and getting north, maximizing his ability to pick up yards. His ability to catch passes out of the backfield and pick up large gains as a check-down receiver leaking out makes him a viable option for third-down offensive formations and sets as well.

White’s relationship with Arizona State’s running back’s coach, Shaun Aguano, undoubtedly played a major role in his decision choosing the Sun Devils. On White’s official visit to ASU earlier in the month, White was finally able to meet Aguano in person, and the two were able to watch film and compare the Sun Devil offense running schemes and how they fit White’s style of play.

“On FaceTime and Zoom, we had great conversations as he was recruiting me,” White remarked in an interview with Devils Digest after his visit. “But now in person, he was getting to know me more and more, like he didn't want to recruit me because I was already on the team’s roster.

“It’s crazy how with my versatility, ability to catch the ball, I wouldn’t be a one-down back. I can be used on multiple downs. We went over gap schemes I’m really familiar with like the power, counter, outside zone, inside zone…he was showing me who to read and how to read and stuff like that.

“Watching the way Arizona State was running the ball last season definitely impressed me, But it's not just that how successful they were; it was really how they use their running backs. Like I said before, I see so many similarities between them and how I’m used in my high school offense, and I could picture myself running the ball in this ASU offense.”

“It’s about relationships,” said North Stafford recruiting coordinator John Harris. “When you have people like Coach Aguano who the kids genuinely like, and respect and they believe in, it makes it a little bit easier to take a leap of faith first.”

Coach Harris, who was also on the visit to Tempe with White earlier in June also stated how important of a role Coach Aguano played in White’s final decision.

“It was great to meet (Coach Aguano) face-to-face,” said Harris. He’s very honest. In recruiting, sometimes, you hear everything, but he’s a very honest guy. Everything that he told Tevin was true. His knowledge of the game is ridiculous. He can make things make sense. When he showed Tevin certain plays that Arizona State had compared to (Tevin’s) skillset and his film, kind of showing Tevin and comparing the two to each other, he made it make sense.

"That’s really all you can ask for. He makes things make sense, and he believes in Tevin. He’s just a good person too. I just think that even though it’s a far flight for a kid from Virginia, I feel like Tevin was able to develop a relationship with Coach (Aguano) pretty early on in this process.”

Even at an early age, White had an idea of what he would be looking for in a school. With the city of Tempe and the Arizona State campus checking most of the boxes, it was the Arizona State coaching staff’s NFL playing and coaching experience that completed the list.

“With Tevin, when he was very young, he basically made a list of the things that were important to him about a college,” Harris recalled. “Obviously, as he got older, some things moved up, and some moved down. But for him, it was always about (college’s) academics, campus lifestyle, and ‘Hey, I want to shine and make it to the Pro’s.’ Your dream is always a little bit more realistic when you’re around people who have been there. It’s hard for it not to make a difference. It’s definitely a dream of his, so why not be around people who know what it takes to get there.”

White’s formidable playmaking ability on the field matched with great leadership skills is a coach’s dream, but a trait not well-known is how intelligent the four-star running back is on and off the field. In fact, another big selling point for White during his recruiting process was the opportunity to meet actual Arizona State Math professors during his official visit.

“I could talk about his leadership skills for days,” Harris remarked. “He’s been a part of the leadership council since his sophomore year, and he was a captain for our team last year as a Junior. But the thing that most people may not know is that he’s very intelligent. He’s in the math club, he has a 3.8 core GPA, and honestly (Tevin) could probably teach some of the classes that he’s in. He’s very bright, and it translates onto football too. He picks up a playbook fast, and he can actually stay in a coach’s meeting and have an intelligent conversation. That’s the part that translates into football really well.”

“Honestly, that was a big thing on his official visit to (ASU) is that he was able to talk to some of the professors in the Math department, and that was huge for him,” stated Harris. “Everybody cares about academics to a degree, but he’s very bright. So, he cares about who teaches him just as much as he cares who’s coaching him.”

Tevin White plans to enroll into ASU in the Spring semester after he graduates from High School next January. What type of impact should ASU fans expect from White the moment he steps onto campus? Harris believes almost instantaneously.

“The reason I say that Tevin will be a Day 1 impact (player) is because he’s already training like he’s in college," Harris remarked. "He’s ready, he’s on time for everything, he knows how to watch film, and he knows how to break film down. He already has an amazing personal trainer, and he’s already eating all the right foods. I think for him, it’s going to be about picking up the offense and obviously adjusting to the speed of the game…He’ll be able to make an impact or at the very least push whoever’s in front of him.”

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