100 Days to Football Time in Oklahoma: #23 DaShaun White By: Ryan Lewis Posted on: August 12, 2021

The Path to Norman

DaShaun White was headed to College Station for a long time. The path to becoming a Sooner took some twists and turns to happen. The OU staff started recruiting DaShaun White over a year before his signing day. Shortly before the summer, his offer came.

It felt that the Sooners were in a great spot early on. However, White’s first public commitment at the end of the summer went to the Aggies. At the time, it was clear that he was still torn and that OU wasn’t out of the running. The entire fall, the Sooners’ coaching staff kept at the talented linebacker. Their hard work eventually paid off.

For more on his recruitment, TFB’s Charlie wrote how the staff wouldn’t let White get away.

Career So Far

In 2018, White played in every game for the Sooners; however, his snaps per game seemed limited, much to the chagrin of many OU fans. DaShaun showed flashes in the time he saw, leaving fans clamoring for more. 

2019 was a big step up for DaShaun White. Kenneth Murray, a several-year starter, manned the MIKE linebacker spot; it was up to White to man the WILL. He started in all 14 games, ranking fourth on the team in total tackles as he split time with guys like Ryan Jones, Brian Asamoah, and Caleb Kelly. 

White played in every game of the season again in 2020, starting in all but one. He ranked fifth on the team in tackles, sixth in TFL, and fourth in sacks.

Current Profile

Position: Linebacker

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 225

Year: Senior

Stats

Stats via Soonersports.com

This Season

White is a three year player and two year starter heading into 2021, an experienced linebacker in Coach Grinch’s defense. However, he’s going to have to fight to keep that starting role. Brain Asamoah and David Ugwoegbu are expected to start at WILL and MIKE linebacker, respectively, with White slotting behind Ugwoegbu at MIKE. Coach Grinch certainly likes to rotate players, so White should still be on the field quite frequently. The linebacker unit is a deep group; DaShaun White will be an experienced part of that this year.