White ready to compete at Challenge, beyond

BALTIMORE -- Before signing another in a long string of the dozens of Under Armour footballs all campers autograph during registration here at the third annual Rivals Five Star Challenge, Brady White took a brief moment to stretch and flex his hand.

After all, there's too much fun to be had for White to risk getting a cramp or some other malady before the real action even begins on the playing surface of M&T Bank Stadium Saturday morning.

It's not all fun and games though, as White, a star player at Hart High in Newhall, Calif., is first to admit. The No. 3 pro-style quarterback prospect in the country and highest ranked Arizona State commit at the position in Rivals.com history wants to continue to make a positive impression on analysts. Perhaps even more importantly, he wants to lead his team to a win the weekend's signature event.

"I'm just looking to compete in this camp, it's going to be a lot of fun, it's going to be a great experience," White said. "I'm very blessed with this opportunity but I'm just looking to compete, and show everyone what I've got and hopefully on that last day lead our team to a championship in that 7-on-7. Also I'm trying to get in the heads of a few recruits out here for ASU. It's going to be a fun trip."

The nation's top two ranked pro-style quarterback prospects, UCLA commit Josh Rosen and USC commit Ricky Town, aren't in attendance this weekend, so White's opportunity is significant. Last year at the Challenge, Arizona quarterback and Texas A&M signee Kyle Allen earned MVP honors and vaulted to a No. 1 ranking and became a newly minted five star as a direct result of his performance.

So that's out there for the taking, and White knows it. At the same time, he said there's nothing in particular he could do to prepare for this camp. Rather, it's about spending every day being diligent, even when it's not on such a big stage, and especially when nobody is watching at all.

"You've got to just keep putting in that lonely work, by yourself, just throwing, or footwork, weight room, and then that prepares you for this or the next level," White said. "You've got to have a relentless work ethic and that will take you far in life."

Some five weeks removed from his commitment to ASU, White said the pressure has changed and now he feels an obligation to demonstrate the program's coaches made the right decision by performing at a high level in prominent events including the Challenge and next month's The Opening.

"It feels awesome," White said. "Now I'm a Sun Devil and I've got to represent them well as well as my high school and my family and like I said try to get ASU in the heads of some other recruits who are thinking about there and hopefully we can get some more guys."

The competition won't end when the summer circuit does. In the coming months, White no doubt wants to improve upon his junior season, which included 4,535 passing yards with 41 touchdowns and 18 interceptions and 525 rushing yards and nine touchdown carries. After that, things should get ratcheted up even further when he joins an ASU program that signed two quarterbacks in the class ahead of him, and includes another commitment at the position in his class.

"I know (2015 ASU quarterback commit) Bryce (Perkins), I know (2014 ASU signee) Manny Wilkins. They're great guys. It's going to be a lot of fun with us and obviously we're going to compete because we all want that spot. I'm confident in my abilities. I feel like if I do what I got to do I've got a good shot. I can't say anything now because only God knows how it will pan out. Just everything about ASU was a perfect fit for me, I loved everything about it and after that visit I told [offensive coordinator Mike] Norvell and I told my dad that, 'I really like this place a lot, you guys are No. 1 right now.' It was a great recruiting process. I was really blessed to have some big name offers but at the end of the day it really came down to my gut feeling and where I really feel comfortable and where I can see myself, not just playing football but living there and being there, and that was ASU so I'm really excited by it."

Norvell and head ASU coach Todd Graham earned White's trust and respect, he said, and with that in place, they grew increasingly comfortable with the relationships and started to really enjoy each other. That turned into a signature commitment and some important recruiting inertia.

"I love those guys," White said. "They're awesome coaches. They've obviously done an amazing job in their first two years at ASU. Coach Norvell is a great guy. Not only is he an awesome coach but he's a great person. We get along a ton. When I'm up there we mess around a lot, we joke around with each other and crack jokes a lot. And then coach Graham also, he's a cool cat. He's very down to earth with how popular is and he's really turned that program around. He's doing awesome things up there and I love the way he sets the example for his kids and the players he's got and sets the standards high. Like this is what we've got to accomplish, this is what I want you guys to be, great students, great people as well as great athletes. He's going to whip my butt into shape but it's all going to be worth it. They want the best out of me and they're going to get the best out of me and they're going to help me be the best player I can."