Hidden Gems: Gators Guard Ethan White Might Be Missing Piece Along OL
Considering the lack of spring games, practices, and typical team workouts this year, many of the Gators' key competitions have gone to the wayside, making room for the team to stay put with their original starting lineup, potentially.
However, one position group which must be shuffled around is the offensive line, and a key to the shuffling could be rising sophomore guard Ethan White.
White, originally recruited to the Gators as a three-star offensive lineman out of Clearwater (Fla.), joined the team last year as a true freshman, an early enrollee at the University. When White first arrived he weighed a staggering 390 pounds, something strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage and the team's nutrients department would figure out right away.
White slimmed down to 330 by the start of the season and was well on his way to becoming a key player for the Gators offensive line, just perhaps not as early as he would have hoped.
Last year, the Gators struggled to find the correct configuration, working their way through a rebuilding offensive line under the guidance of Gators offensive line coach John Hevesy.
Four starting offensive linemen from a year prior - right tackle Jawaan Taylor, left guard Fred Johnson, left guard Tyler Jordan, and right tackle Martez Ivey - were no longer with the team, which meant at minimum four offensive linemen would be brand new starters.
In 2019, the Gators started redshirt senior Nick Buchanan, the only returning starting offensive lineman on the team.
As for the team's other remaining spots, their opening day starters were: left tackle Stone Forsythe, left guard Brett Heggie, right guard Chris Bleich, and right tackle Jean Delance.
By seasons end, Bleich transferred out of school to Syracuse, Delance was struggling, and the Gators needed more movement along the line of scrimmage after having one of the more mediocre rushing offenses in the SEC.
To replace Bleich, the Gators shuffled the line up and turned to redshirt freshman Richard Gouriage, leaving White with a prime opportunity to become the team's "next man up", or sixth offensive lineman on the team, one of the most important positions in football.
Hevesy made sure to mention White multiple times during the season, including just before the team played Vanderbilt, his first start of the season due to an injury Heggie suffered.
“Very well. That’s why he’s in the position he’s in," Hevesy said of White when asked about his progression. "He’s in the position to come in and go play. That’s what I said you come here for, go play now. It’s a good thing we’re home. We don’t have to go to an outside environment, where home is a little bit controlled. But to me, it’s an opportunity to go play.”
In White's first start he performed admirably, showing off his athleticism and clear mental processing, it was easy to see why the Gators invested so much time in the young man. For the majority of the game, no one could tell that White was pushing 400 pounds less than a year prior.
White wouldn't start another game for the Gators last season, however, the freshman did earn plenty of snaps, playing 197 snaps on the season, including 38 during the team's bowl game in which the Gators performed their best in the run game, rushing for a season-high 244 rushing yards.
Next year, White should earn the opportunity to start. A hidden gem, White could be apart of something special in Florida for years to come. If the Gators were to start White, they could potentially move Gouraige to left tackle, replacing Forsythe who would then replace Delance at right tackle. That would pave the way for White to start at right guard with Heggie remaining at the left guard position.
Whichever the alignment, it appears White is ready for a much larger role heading into his second season. Following the team's victory over Virginia in the Orange Bowl, White told 247 Sports he was ready and knows he can block anyone.
"I'm confident I can go and, with the right coaching, I can block anybody right now and just do whatever I'm asked to do."
Check out Demetrius Harvey's other Hidden Gems on running back Nay'Quan Wright, linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper, and wide receiver Rick Wells.
