Rachaad White was unsure if he would ever arrive at the place he is today.

After a long journey, White, a junior running back for Arizona State is battling for carries in the Sun Devils’ backfield with two, four-star tailbacks.

The 6 foot 2, 195-pound White starred at Center High School in Kansas City, Missouri but no Division I schools showed much interest, leading to him signing with Division II Nebraska-Kearney.

At Nebraska-Kearney, White did not see the field as the Lopers decided to redshirt him. While he valued the coaching he received, he knew he was destined for brighter lights and left to attend Mt. San Antonio Community College in Walnut, California.

At Mt. Sac, White excelled. In his sophomore season in 2019, he ran for 1,264 rushing yards on 6.4 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns. He also showed versatility with 216 receiving yards and two scores.

After years of trying to be noticed by big-time programs, the Division I interest started coming White’s way. He received an offer from UCLA and committed to play for the Bruins in October of 2019. However, White’s long and winding road would obviously not end with a career in Los Angeles.

White started to feel misled by the Bruins and decommitted in early February.

“Some coaches will tell you something that you want to hear but it’s not really the truth,” White told DevilsDigest in a May interview. “I would say I had committed to UCLA kind of quick, and then I felt like it wasn’t the best decision, so this go around, I thought I would take my time and just make sure that I make the right decision because I only have two years left to play and to prepare.”

After his decision to decommit, White was offered by ASU on May 16, committing just five days later.

White’s decision to come to ASU appears to be the right one. Due to his college experience and skillset, he is pushing freshmen backs Daniyel Ngata and DeaMonte Trayanum for carries in preseason practice.

“Since he’s been in junior college for a couple of years, he just knows how it’s done on a collegiate level a little bit more,” Trayanum explained. “And just from a skill set, him being more of a shifty kind of back. And I feel like him coming into the room just made everybody better. We all try to compete every day, try to separate ourselves even more.”

According to White, the competition for playing time is still tight, with all three running backs continuing to practice with the first-team offense. Despite the fight for carries, he said there is only support for each other and no ill will between the group.

“You can never hate on another man,” White explained. “You just got to keep supporting each other. You just got to stick with it. We know we need a brotherhood to win. Teams that win a championship don’t just be like, okay, he’s the guy, but we’re not going to be close or have camaraderie. We compete against each other, but at the same time, we can help each other and give each other tips.”

One of the ways White will gain time on the field in 2020 is if he grasps the complex offense ASU offensive coordinator Zak Hill is running. Unlike Trayanum and Ngata, White was not in Tempe for the five spring practices.

Due to the lack of experience with the offense, White had some growing pains during the early sessions, but those hiccups have seemingly gone away.

“I feel very comfortable in it,” White remarked. “If you ask the coaches, they would say I feel very comfortable. They helped me out. Teammates helped me out. The offense is going to be crazy in general just because of what we do. But it’s a great offense, though.”

Transitioning from junior college to one of the largest Universities in the United States can be tough for some players but not for White. He said teammates and coaches have made it easy for him. His schedule of all online classes is also helping him adjust because he does not have to worry about finding classes.

A major difference White has noticed from junior college to ASU is the drive his teammates show, something he aligns with.

“What’s different is just the guys’ ambition,” White stated. “I see the dog in a lot of guys. I see a lot of guys that … want to win. And that was a big reason why I came here.”

Being looked over in the recruiting process can be hard on some players, but for White, it may just be the key to his success for the Sun Devils this season.

“I had a chip on my shoulder since I was small,” White said. “That’s just the way of life. Every guy that played football and that want to be the best in their mindset going to have a chip on their shoulder. So, I say yeah, that playing a part. I want to show guys and help this team win.”

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