12/18/2019 football Edit

Letter of intent No. 8: Defensive back Aydan White

Matt Carter • TheWolfpackCentral

Editor

Three-star cornerback Aydan White from Christ School near Asheville, N.C. has signed his letter of intent with NC State football.

Measurables

Listed at 6-foot-2, 170 pounds.

Stats

Senior: Made 16 tackles and two interceptions and caught 27 passes for 536 yards and eight scores.

Junior: Hauled in 60 receptions for 1,049 yards and 11 touchdowns and piled up 39 tackles, three interceptions, 12 pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Sophomore: Had 26 tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups and made 15 catches for 261 yards and a score.

Ratings

Rivals.com: Three stars and No. 25 player in the state.

247Sports: Three stars, No. 37 cornerback in the country and No. 16 player in the state.

ESPN: Three stars, No. 68 cornerback in the country and No. 30 player in the state.

Charlotte Observer: No. 17 player in the state.

Fayetteville Observer: No. 35 player in the state.

Honors/Accomplishments

• Named first-team all-state for independent schools as a senior.

• Selected as one of the top 10 recruits in Western North Carolina by the Asheville Citizen-Times.

• Also runs track where is a three-time defending state champ in the independent schools 3-A level in the 110-meter hurdles (personal best time of 14.77 seconds) and added a championship in the high jump as a junior with a personal best jump of 6-foot-2.

Recruitment

• Picked up offers from NC State and Wake Forest in the spring.

• Verbally committed to NC State March 31.

• Remained firm despite overtures from other schools, including Notre Dame.

Recruiter Of Record

Defensive line coach Kevin Patrick

Quotable

“You just look at them, and it looks like they’re not running fast or going hard, but they’re just running by people. He’s very fluid. He’s a 110-hurdle champion. He’s got all kinds of natural gifts. He’s not just trying to use them, he’s trying to develop them more. It’s great to have that type of kid.”

— Christ School head coach Nick Luhm, comparing White to his former high school player Juston Burris, who played at NC State and now starts for the Cleveland Browns in the NFL.

Scouting Report

• A good athlete with the bonus of having nice length for a cornerback.

• Could also be a kick returner for NC State. He returned both a punt and kickoff for touchdowns as a senior.

• Needs to get stronger and be more physical.

2020 Projection

White has the size and athleticism to be a good cornerback at the ACC level. How quickly he gets onto the field will depend on his strength and physicality. It would not be surprising to see White take advantage of the four-game rule for redshirting and get some playing time on special teams next year.