2022 Enai White Recruit Wants to Find School That Feels Like Home, Talks LSU Football Interest
Despite missing four games in 2019 with an injury, 2022 defensive end Enai White has established himself as one of the top recruits in the entire class.
The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native carries offers from over 30 schools but is really intrigued by the offer from the defending national champs.
"They produce," White said. "They send guys to the NFL and last year's team, the work that they put in, the way they dominated college football, you can tell it's a tight ship they run down there. It doesn't look like it's stopping anytime soon either."
White is one of the top rated prospects in the 2022 class, currently ranked No. 12 on 247Sports composite rankings as a weakside defensive end. The Imhotep Institute High School product has picked up offers from prominent programs like LSU, Alabama, Penn State, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Florida, Ohio State and Oklahoma.
LSU started to show interest a couple of weeks after clinching the program's fourth national championship in January. Because the championship win was so fresh, White admits he was a little surprised that the Tigers were reaching out to him so quickly after the big win.
"I can tell they think I'm an important piece they'd like to add to the class because they had just won the championship and they reached out to me," White said. "They like how my game is unique and how I fit into what they're trying to do on defense. They also like that I use my hands very well and my get off is pretty elite for somebody my size."
At 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, having that elite get off speed is what's helped White become one of the can't miss playmakers in the class. But the energy he plays with on the field, giving that 110% on every play, is the trait he considers to be most valuable.
White has always been one of the biggest and tallest players for his age, playing up a couple of weight classes in Pop Warner before becoming a standout edge rusher as a freshman at Imhotep Institute. He's always been a naturally gifted athlete and impact player so it wasn't until this offseason that he really started putting that extra time in the weight room and trying to perfect his craft on the field.
"This offseason I've been working on getting stronger, getting my weight up and a lot of technique drills," White said. "I'm really trying to understand everything about becoming an elite defensive end.
Imhotep Institute has been to the state championship in each of the last four years so that tells you about the kind of winning culture White comes from. While the team fell short in 2019, White said they were starting six sophomores on offense and defense so he expects a different outcome now that the team is a little more experienced.
As a junior, White hopes to show college programs just how physical he is at the line of scrimmage. Though he's proven to be a dominant force because of his speed and finesse off the edge, White says becoming a more versatile player is ultimately what he hopes to prove to college evaluators this fall.
"I want to show that I can drop in coverage and cover the flex if you need to, I want to show that I'm not just a pass rusher but that I can stop the run," White said. "I want to show that physicality because a lot of people question that about me but I'm going to prove different."
In regards to his LSU recruitment, White says it's been fun getting to speak with the coaching staff but looks forward to getting to know them better than he currently does. Getting on campus for a visit is a must for him and he would've made the trip this summer had the COVID-19 pandemic put a permanent halt on recruiting trips.
When looking for a college program, there are three main attributes White says he's looking for.
"I want a place that I can call home, a place that produces and sends guys to the league and a place where I could play early," White said. "I've been watching LSU since Tyrann Mathieu was there so I know about that environment and that atmosphere on the TV. I want to experience it in person though."
