White Recaps ND Visit, Offer
Drew White knew Notre Dame’s interest in him was serious, which is why the 2017 linebacker made the trip up to South Bend from Florida for the Irish’s Junior Day on Saturday. At the end of the day’s event, he learned exactly how serious when Notre Dame extended a scholarship.
After spending much of the day with recruiting coordinator and linebacker coach Mike Elston, the 6-foot-1 225-pounder from St. Thomas Aquinas High School was pulled into defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder’s office.
“He just preached to me that they really want me,” White said of VanGorder. “They saw my film and like the way I play. They like my instincts and they know I’m a good student, so they like that too.
“To officially offer me, they called me into Brian Kelly’s office and he formally offered me the scholarship and gave me a letter and reiterated what VanGorder said about how much they want me and that they think I’m a great player.”
Notre Dame is added to an offer sheet that also includes schools like LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Missouri, Purdue, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, Arkansas and Cincinnati among others.
“It was an awesome feeling,” White said. “Notre Dame is definitely the total package for football, academics and all of the other stuff. It was cool. I knew they were interested in me and that’s why I came up. They said they wanted to see me in person. It was a satisfying feeling having them offer me a scholarship, it kind of sealed the deal.”
Prior to the offer, White got a chance to learn more about Notre Dame as a school and a football program.
“We were able to see practice, that was really cool,” he said. “I was able to see some intensity, which was great.
“We took a little bus tour to see the campus. The campus is awesome, it’s just so pristine. We had a little auditorium thing about academics and different stuff like that, which was also cool because I know academics is a big part of Notre Dame and it’s definitely going to be a big part of my decision.”
Then he got a chance to meet with Elston, VanGorder, Kelly and his area recruiter, Autry Denson.
“It was awesome because a lot of them have Florida connections,” said White. “Denson grew up in Broward County, so he knows a lot of the same people I know, so it was awesome to talk about. VanGorder has some experience coaching in Florida, so that was also cool to talk to him about. We definitely have some connections and know the same people.”
White’s brother and current Auburn quarterback Sean White, has advised him to be deliberate with his decision and while he’ll do just that, the junior linebacker hopes to have a decision before the end of the summer.
“I know I want to do it before my senior season so I can wrap it up and just focus on the season,” he said. “But between then, I’m not sure if it’ll be soon or at the very end right before the season. It just really depends on what I start to think about and what school really sticks out to me.”
He’d like to return to South Bend for another visit if he can, but could also want to check out some of the other schools that have offered that he hasn’t been to yet. One thing is certain, his interest in the Irish is serious.
“Notre Dame is definitely one of the top schools that I’m thinking about,” he said. “It was awesome to see the campus, visit with the coaches and have them give me the scholarship.”
And Notre Dame would appear to fit many of the things he’s looking for in a college
“Football is definitely important. They have to have a good football program, but academics is a really big part. After football, a lot of people don’t make it to the NFL and if you don’t, you need insurance with what degree you have. That’ll set you up for your whole life, so academics is really important. Also, the vibe I get from the coaches and players there, what kind of feeling surrounds the campus.”