Commitment Breakdown: What Auburn is getting in collected 4-star QB Walker White
Auburn pulled a stunner on Friday grabbing the commitment of four-star quarterback Walker White. Without a doubt, it’s the most clutch recruiting win of the Hugh Freeze era at Auburn.
Auburn missed the boat on a quarterback until the very end of the 2023 cycle: quarterback uncertainty can cause issues in filling out a class. Therefore, the addition of White gives Auburn a strong talent to add to its quarterback room, and adds a lead recruiter to the 2024 recruiting class.
What exactly does White bring to Auburn? How important was it to have a quarterback with his skillset? Here’s everything you need to know about the Tigers’ new quarterback.
The White File
- White’s pocket presence is advanced at his current stage. He has the confidence to hold the ball and work around in the pocket as long as needs to. He won’t be afforded that opportunity as often on the next level, but it’s a strong quality to build around.
- White is not looking to pull down and run, he’d rather stay active in the pocket and read his progressions. However, he’s got some wheels. He appears to handle the zone read and RPO type plays well. When he gets in open field, he is fast enough to make a big play.
- There is some heat behind his throws. He has a tendency to strong arm a throw, meaning he doesn’t go all the way through his throwing motion. His accuracy doesn’t appear to suffer from it for now, but in order to keep touch on all of his throws, that could use some correction.
- His accuracy on the deep ball is good for the most part despite a few misses. He doesn’t put much air under the ball sometimes when it needs it. He looks to still be learning how to put trajectory on the ball for specific throws.
Auburn Fit
- Evidently, the fit with Hugh Freeze was a key factor in this recruitment. That fit is key in having a relationship and with development down the road.
- Specifically with Freeze and Philip Montgomery’s style of offense, White can excel because of his ability to stay calm in any situation. He is active in the pocket, but under control at the same time. His ability to make reads with minimal mistake is of the utmost importance as well.
Football IQ
- Back to his pocket presence, White has a great feel for pressure leaking into the pocket. If things completely break down, he usually slips out of the pocket at the last minute. It’s an awareness that isn’t easily taught.
- White is quick in his reads. He can hold the ball too long at times, but he is usually locked into his progressions as a result. He can do all of this while keeping his feet hot in the pocket.
SEC readiness
White is physical and mentally on his way to being a talented quarterback in the SEC. He still has his senior season ahead, but shows several traits that translate to big time college football. White also fits the style of Freeze and Montgomery and can allow for the style both coaches are wanting to implement.
