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Utah Utes 2021 prospect Jason White is an SI All-American nominee

Although just a three-star prospect, Jason White out of Southern California is a 2021 recruit with a ton of upside. He's on high on Utah's list and could make an immediate impact on the offensive line

It may be the month of August, and the COVID-19 pandemic may be seriously hindering recruiting for most of the college football programs throughout the country. But for the University of Utah, head coach Kyle Whittingham and co. are off to a stellar start in recruiting compared to where they usually are this time of year.

Headlining Utah's 2021 recruiting class is quarterback Peter Costelli, one of the top-ranked passers in the country according SI All American's John Garcia.

Joining Costelli is one of the premier running backs in the country in soon-to-be four-star running back Ricky Parks out of Gaither High School in Tampa, Florida and Deamikkio Nathan, the wide receiver out of South Grand Prairie High School in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Utah has an offensive line commit from Kolinu'u Faaiu, a beast of a prospect for the interior — but the Utes are still lacking on the outside of that group. Enter Jason White, a massive prospect who is high on Utah and was recently named an SI All-American nominee.

Senior Bamidele Olaseni and sophomore Simi Moala are expected to be the starters at the tackle positions entering the 2020 season for Utah. Moala is already established after starting most of last season at right tackle, so expect him to hold on to that spot until he leaves in three years.

Olaseni has an ideal frame, checking in at 6’7'', 332-pounds, but he has struggled in past season and will most likely get the first chance at the start role. A darkhorse candidate is Keaton Bills has shown a lot of potential, but he lacks experience so gaining some this year will be vital for him going forward.

Over the coming weeks, SI will unveil its preseason top 10 for each of 14 position groups (kicking off with quarterbacks this week). SI will unveil its initial top 99 ranking, the SI99, on August 24.

The evaluation process will continue throughout the season “until the list of 1,000 contenders coalesces around just 25 young men who can say proudly they are the best of the best -- they are Sports Illustrated All-Americans,” said SI Director of Football Recruiting John Garcia Jr.

The candidates will be narrowed to 250 in October and 99 in November, and will culminate with 25 first-team Sports Illustrated All-Americans saluted at SI’s annual Sportsperson of the Year banquet in New York in December.

Here's a complete breakdown by Garcia regarding what White can do at the next level...

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Prospect: Jason White
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 260 pounds
Position: Offensive Tackle
School: Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High School
Schools of Interest: Florida, Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas State, Utah, Oregon State, Kansas and Washington State.
Projected Position: Offensive Tackle

Frame: Sturdy base without too much excess weight. Big limbs and strong upper body.

Athleticism: Very strong punch and active feet to match. Engulfing punch when run blocking comes from explosion in hips, but could be even more effective with a more consistently-low pad level. Looks like a natural athlete when kicking in his pass set.

Instincts: Almost always in the right spot, with his back to the ball carrier. He can recognize specific pass rush moves and execute the most effective counters accordingly. Great at pass-rush jiu jitsu, and reliable as a blindside blocker.

Polish: White is well-coached and he’s a capable drive blocker, but he’s most polished when he’s sitting in his pass set. Can at times overset, but he recovers with quick feet and violent hands.

Bottom Line: White is a big athlete and does all the little things right, but can at times get out-leveraged. Has a very clean pass set and his aiming point with his punch rarely misses. Look for a special senior year from this one.

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