If Devin White had to pick a teacher, it would be Dave Aranda.
“He is not the guy that’s [going to] holler at you and all that,” White said about his defensive coordinator. “But he makes sure he gets his point across and he let you know what is expected from you. He is a great person to learn from. He is a great teacher.”
White credits Aranda’s methods teaching as a big reason why he was able to make the transition to linebacker in college after being a running back in high school.
Aranda said White is progressing well but is in line for something big this upcoming season.
“He is setting himself up for great things,” Aranda said in an interview at the LSU coaches Clinic last week. “I think there is still a lot of work to be done, but he’s got the mindset to do it.”
White, who will likely be counted on to replace former linebackers Kendell Beckwith and Duke Riley, played in 12 games last season as a backup linebacker.
The sophomore linebacker said he struggled with the mental aspect of the game, but he felt he broke through in the Missouri game.
“I had a third down stop,” White said. “I had another stop on the quarterback, so I was just playing my gap and my gap helped me make plays.”
White finished his freshman year with 30 tackles, two of which were game-changing plays late in the season. The first came against Texas A&M when White brought down an Aggie ball carrier and forced a fumble, and the second was a sack against Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson.
With the absence of Beck with and Riley on defense, White is expected to step up as a leader.
He even received a phone call from former running back Leonard Fournette, who told him what it takes to be a young leader on the team.
White also knows communication is key in Aranda’s defense, and he has no issues talking on the field.
“Coming in, I love the game,” White said. “So I talk trash to the offense all the time. Another player that helped me with that was Jamal Adams. Me and him had a bunch of talks, and we still do to this day.”
Something else that’s changing for White this season is his jersey number.
White made the switch to wearing No. 40 in honor of Riley, someone he says taught him everything.
“Duke [Riley] taught me like he wanted me to take his spot,” White said. “I really enjoyed that because he wanted to see me have a bright future. I am going to do that to the next guy — I am gonna teach them everything they need to know so they can play.”
So far, through the first few weeks of spring practice, Aranda has noticed a different level of play from White.
“I’m a big fan of Devin,” Aranda said. “I think he’s matured greatly. I think he is working himself to be a team leader. I know he has the respect of our room — he’s got the respect of our team.”
LSU junior linebacker Donnie Alexander (48) and freshman linebacker Devin White (24) celebrating after a big play on Saturday Oct. 22, 2016 during the Tigers' 38-21 victory over Ole Miss at Tiger Stadium.
