Tag: Ethan White

Former Florida OL backs off transfer to USC following injury update

A former Gator offensive lineman is dealing with a serious injury and won’t be transferring to USC after all.

Former Florida left guard [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] won’t be playing for the USC Trojans after all, according to head Southern California head coach Lincoln Riley.

Riley said that White is dealing with an injury that could prevent him from football moving forward and will not be joining the program. Injuries were a consistent problem for White in Gainesville, but he started all 13 games for the Gators a season ago.

“There’s an injury situation that looks like it’s going to prevent him from playing further, and I’ll let him take it from there,” Riley said Thursday to the Los Angeles Times. “Obviously, we were excited to get him. It’s football — certainly, these things come up and we get it. There’s football and there’s also long-term health, and we understand guys have got to make those decisions and the best decisions for themselves.”

At first, some fans speculated that White could return to Florida, but Riley’s comments make it fairly clear that a reunion won’t be happening.

White never allowed a sack at Florida, which is impressive after playing more than 1,500 snaps across four seasons. He initially started off at right guard but moved to left guard during the shortened 2020 season.

He started 20 games over the past two seasons and was named an All-SEC Second Teamer by the Associated Press in 2022. A fan favorite, most of Gator Nation has wished White well in his recovery.

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Ethan White decommitted from USC, but not because of a change of heart

Ethan White didn’t change his mind about #USC. A new update indicates White won’t be able to play football anymore.

The decommitment of offensive line transfer Ethan White from USC could have been viewed as a change of heart, as though White lost the desire to play for the Trojans. It seems that isn’t actually what happened. White wanted to play for USC, but he simply couldn’t.

Via USC radio reporter Jack Smith, Trojan head coach Lincoln Riley said White suffered a significant injury which will probably mean the end of White’s playing career. That means the decommitment did not occur within the familiar, usual context of a player changing schools or looking for a better situation elsewhere. It occurred because White simply can’t play competitive football anymore, given the severity of his injury.

We noted earlier in the week that “The USC Trojans landed Florida offensive lineman transfer Ethan White in January. White was a starting guard and an All-SEC second-team choice for the Florida Gators last season, so this was a big addition with Andrew Vorhees and Brett Neilon among the players headed for the NFL.”

Now an offensive line slot is open. USC is trying to land Houston transfer Cam’Ron Johnson, who is believed to be choosing between the Trojans and Missouri. USC will host Johnson when the lineman pays a visit to Heritage Hall.

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Offensive lineman Ethan White reverses course, decides to leave USC

White’s departure makes it even more important to get Cam’Ron Johnson or another O-lineman in the portal. #USC

The USC Trojans landed Florida offensive lineman transfer Ethan White in January. White was a starting guard and an All-SEC second-team choice for the Florida Gators last season, so this was a big addition with Andrew Vorhees and Brett Neilon among the players headed for the NFL.

However, White has now changed his mind and won’t be playing for USC this season, per Matt Zenitz of On3.

White was expected to enroll after spring practice, so this is a plot twist and a big blow for the Trojans. White had started all 13 games for Florida and had zero sacks allowed in his career, so USC was definitely excited to add a player of his caliber.

On the other hand, Houston transfer Cam’Ron Johnson is set to take a visit soon, so that could be the replacement for White.

The Trojans’ spring game took place this past weekend, so coaches got a firsthand look at the team in the second year of Lincoln Riley. With a flurry of players leaving for the NFL, guys such as White were added in hopes of replacing the 2022 stalwarts. Now, USC will have to pivot elsewhere, and it will be interesting to see where Ethan White ends up now.

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Five incoming Florida transfers make 247Sports top-150 rankings

247Sports updated its transfer rankings on Wednesday and five incoming Gators are ranked inside the top 150.

The Florida Gators brought in 10 players through the transfer portal over the winter and four of them made the final update to the 247Sports Top150 transfer rankings.

Defensive lineman [autotag]Caleb Banks[/autotag] is the highest-ranked Gator on the list. The Louisville transfer is No. 82 overall on the Top150 with a transfer grade of 91. Kentucky offensive tackle transfer [autotag]Kiyaunta Goodwin[/autotag] is next up at No. 96, and Memphis defensive line transfer [autotag]CamRon Jackson[/autotag] is just outside the top 100 at No. 110 overall.

Baylor offensive guard transfer [autotag]Micah Mazzccua[/autotag] is No. 138 on the list and former Wisconsin quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] rounds things out at No. 150. Both have a transfer grade of 90, meaning Florida is bringing in five players of the caliber or better.

On the other hand, Florida lost two players ranked in the top 150, offensive guard [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] (No. 131) to USC and defensive back [autotag]Donovan McMillon[/autotag] (No. 143) to Pittsburgh.

The hope is that White’s departure will be offset by Mazzccua, but there’s no clear replacement for McMillon. Fortunately, the Gators focused heavily on defensive backs in the most recent recruiting cycle.

Although they didn’t make 247Sports’ list of the top transfers, Florida is counting on guys like linebacker [autotag]Teradja Mitchell[/autotag], running back [autotag]Cameron Carroll[/autotag] and offensive tackle [autotag]Damieon George[/autotag] to contribute. There was a ton of roster turnover during the offseason and there are several starting spots up for grabs.

It’s too early to tell how well Florida did in the transfer portal this offseason, but the early returns seem good.

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Florida’s offensive line a key focus for ESPN heading into 2023

Florida’s offensive line was a major reason the team wasn’t a complete disaster in 2022, and now the Gators have to replace four starters in the trenches.

Florida’s offensive line was among the best in the SEC and college football a season ago. Unfortunately, the Gators are replacing four starters on the offensive line after losing a pair of seniors to the NFL draft and two more to Southern California via the transfer portal.

UF will have center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] returning, but gone are left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag], left guard [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag], right guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] and right tackle [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag]. Replacing those four is the top storyline of Florida’s spring, according to ESPN’s Chris Low and Hary Lyles Jr., who dove into each SEC program at the start of spring ball.

The Gators brought in three transfers on the offensive line over the offseason. Alabama‘s [autotag]Damieon George Jr[/autotag]. and former five-star Kentucky signee [autotag]Kiyaunta Goodwin[/autotag] should get a shot to play tackle for Florida along with a returning [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag], and Baylor transfers [autotag]Micah Mazzccua[/autotag] should step immediately into one of the vacant starting guard spots.

While it is almost a complete turnover in the trenches, Florida fans should still feel confident, according to Low and Lyles.

“The Gator faithful should feel confident in the abilities of offensive coordinator [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] to get this group together, given their track record with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s great offensive lines at Louisiana, which produced multiple NFL draft picks,” the ESPN story read.

Low and Lyles also pointed a newcomer on the team to watch and chose to pick a player that will be behind the offensive line transfers mentioned above. Wisconsin transfer [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] will be competing with [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] for the starting quarterback job, and his experience in the Big Ten might give him the upper leg. Both he and the offensive line need to excel for Florida to have a bounce-back year.

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Florida OL Ethan White commits to USC transfer

Another Florida offensive lineman is headed to Los Angeles to play for the USC Trojans in 2023.

Former Florida offensive lineman [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] committed to Southern California on Monday after spending just under a month in the transfer portal.

White joined the Gators as a member of the 2019 recruiting class and appeared in six games for Florida as a true freshman. His sophomore year ended early thanks to an injury, but the COVID-19 ruling gave him an extra year of eligibility to make up for it. He’d start 20 games at left guard for Florida over the next two seasons and help anchor an offensive line that limited opponents to 1.3 sacks per game in 2022.

He earned an AP All-SEC Second Team nod for his efforts, and his decision to transfer shocked most Gators fans. Nobody was in line to take over for him next year, and Billy Napier wouldn’t have brought in as many transfers without his departure.

Pro Football Focus gave White an offensive grade of 70.0 last year, which breaks down to 76.3 as a pass blocker and 68.5 as a run blocker. His highest-graded year came in 2020 when he received an 82.4 as a pass blocker and a 72.1 overall, but White only took 186 snaps that season (compared to 718 in 2022).

He’ll join another former Gator offensive lineman at USC, tackle [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] who committed to the Trojans just before the turn of the year.

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USC addition of Ethan White puts Trojans in great shape on offensive line

Elijah Paige. Alani Noa. Amos Talalele. Micah Banuelos. Tobias Raymond. Jarrett Kingston. Michael Tarquin. Now Ethan White. Dedich is returning. #USC’s O-line is stacked.

Ethan White, who played left guard for the Florida Gators, announced that he would commit to Southern California. He started all 13 games last season for Florida and anchored an offensive line that limited opponents to 1.3 sacks per game while protecting projected first-round quarterback Anthony Richardson.

The USC Trojans have added a third offensive line transfer and second from Florida in Ethan White. Offensive line depth will not be a concern this year after the major portal haul for the Men of Troy, accompanying what Josh Henson did on the recruiting trail.

White, a product of Clearwater (Fla.) Calvary Christian, signed with the Gators in the class of 2019 as a three-star recruit.

In 2020 he missed the majority of the season with an injury, but he has played the left guard position for 20 games dating back to Week 1 of the 2021 season. Ethan White earned AP All-SEC Second-Team recognition under Billy Napier in 2022. He appears to be a contender for an All-Pac-12 selection in 2023 for the Trojans.

When you realize all the additions on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal, plus the fact that Justin Dedich is returning, it seems clear that USC is in very good shape on the offensive line for 2023:

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USC lands Florida offensive lineman Ethan White in transfer portal, beefs up O-line

Offensive line reinforcements continue to pour in, and this is with Justin Dedich staying. It seems more and more likely that USC’s 2023 O-line will make the grade.

USC football fans are still nervous — and should be — about the defensive line and the secondary. However, the offensive line continues to be less and less of a concern heading into spring ball and the 2023 offseason.

The Trojans landed another high-profile offensive lineman, and this one is definitely not undersized or thin. Ethan White, at 6 feet, 4 inches and 331 pounds, brings a hefty, muscular presence to the Trojans’ offensive front.

It’s another high-quality addition to the position group, following Jarrett Kingston of Washington State. White is the second former Florida Gator to join the Trojan front, following Michael Tarquin.

This is yet another fortification of the position group Caleb Williams will count on to keep him clean. It’s another big body USC can provide to supplement the return of Justin Dedich and compensate for the departures of Andrew Vorhees and Brett Neilon. It’s another position-filler that relieves pressure on incoming offensive line recruits and existing underclassmen to think they need to be ready for the Week 0 season opener against San Jose State (Aug. 26). It’s another step toward building a more complete offensive line unit, with the sufficient level of depth needed to overcome the injuries that inevitably happen in a violent collision sport.

USC’s offense has very few holes, and the holes that still exist are clearly being addressed.

Now, about that defense …

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Another Florida offensive lineman will enter the transfer portal

Florida is now losing four of its five starting linemen to the NFL draft or transfer portal.

On Saturday, Florida left guard [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] announced his intention to enter the transfer portal, meaning the Gators will return just one starter to the offensive line next season.

White’s announcement comes just a day after right tackle [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] moved on from the program, and only center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] will return in 2023. White started all 13 games this season for Florida and was a major part of the team’s elite offensive line. He was expected to start again next year after an All-SEC year in 2022.

“I want to thank Coach Mullen and Coach Hevesy for giving me the opportunity to represent my home state and The University of Florida for 4 years, as well as Coach Napier and his staff for continuing my development over the past year,” White wrote in a Twitter post. “I will be entering the transfer portal.”

White joined the team in 2019 as a three-star recruit and saw early action, playing in six games his freshman year. An injury ended his 2020 season early and once again battled health issues in 2021 but started seven of the eight games he appeared in. 2022 was his first full season and he shined.

Replacing White won’t be easy. The Gators have four offensive linemen joining the program this year: [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag],  [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Lovett[/autotag] and [autotag]Tony Livingston[/autotag] (a class of 2022 commit who gray-shirted and signed in December).

Of course, none of those players have taken a college snap yet, so Billy Napier might need to dip into the transfer portal himself to restock the line.

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Taking a look at Florida’s depth chart ahead of the Las Vegas Bowl

The Las Vegas Bowl is almost here and Florida is working with a different look roster after a busy start to the transfer season.

Florida’s depth chart for the Las Vegas Bowl looks a whole lot different from the opening-day roster, but that’s expected as players leave for the draft, enter the transfer portal and suffer injuries over the course of the year.

Starting with the offense, Florida is down players at every position but running back. [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] is making his first start at quarterback with [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] headed to the NFL, and walk-on [autotag]Kyle Engel[/autotag] true will serve as the backup. True freshman [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] is listed as the third-string option under center.

[autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] are the only available running backs on Saturday, but that duo has the bulk of Florida’s carries over the season so it shouldn’t be a problem.

[autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] is preparing for the draft, which means [autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag] is the new No. 1 out wide for the Gators. True freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] gets the No. 2 spot (and his second start) with [autotag]Daejon Reynolds[/autotag] in the transfer portal, and [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] is still in the slot. Despite losing some talent from the receivers room, Florida is in an okay spot heading into the bowl game.

At tight end, [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is still dealing with an injury, meaning [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] is the starter once again. [autotag]Jonathan Odom[/autotag] was productive as the team’s second tight end towards the end of the season and will get another shot to audition for next year against Oregon State.

Florida’s offensive line features a new face: Redshirt freshman [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag], who will get his first start at right guard with O’Cyrus Torrence headed to the pros. Left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] is also going to the NFL, but he could start in the bowl game and is officially listed as an “or” option along with [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag]. [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] and [autotag]Kinglsey Eguakun[/autotag] remain at left guard and center, and [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] returns to the right tackle spot. Christian Williams could see an increase in snaps as the primary backup for either guard spot with [autotag]Richie Leonard[/autotag] injured.

Now on to the defense.

Florida’s defensive line looks the same as it was through the final few games of the season: [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Princely Umanimielen[/autotag] at defensive end, [autotag]Desmond Watson [/autotag]at nose tackle and [autotag]Antwaun Powell-Ryland J[/autotag]r. at the JACK linebacker spot. The big change in the front seven comes at [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag]’s linebacker spot which now belongs to [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag]. [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] is the other starting linebacker, but expect [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] and [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] to get some work in too.

In the secondary, [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] remain as Florida’s starting cornerbacks, and [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence[/autotag] will get another run at their respective safety spots. [autotag]Jadarrius Perkins[/autotag] is stepping in for an injured [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] at the STAR, but that shouldn’t disrupt the defense too much.

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