Going into 2023, Aydan White was named to the All-ACC preseason team. He is also on the Jim Thorpe Award watchlist. White tallied four interceptions and nine pass defenses in 2022. During his breakout sophomore campaign, White was 2nd in the conference in interceptions and seventh in pass defenses. This fall, the Wolfpack have high expectations for White and his pass-defense ability. White is a cornerback that coordinators must game-plan for.
NC State Profile: Aydan White
By The Numbers
White redshirted his freshman year after appearing in four games. In 2021, he played reliable coverage but did not tally any interceptions after playing in nine games. However, this most recent year makes White stick out as one of the highlights of the Wolfpack defense. In addition to his interceptions and pass defenses, White added a crucial pick-six against Texas Tech. White is six foot tall, and 178 pounds, but plays much more physically than his frame suggests. As the team’s number one corner, he faced off against receivers like Zay Flowers, Antonio Williams, and Josh Downs. Despite going toe to toe with multiple NFL-caliber receivers, White pulled off a feat that no other corner in the country could do. In 482 plays in coverage, White allowed zero touchdowns. He has a tremendous ability to stick with receivers and does not allow separation. When quarterbacks do throw his way, he closes on the ball well and has big play potential.
White played side by side with Shyheim Battle, who led the ACC in passes defended in his freshman 2020 campaign. Last season, the duo locked down opposing receivers, as the Wolfpack only allowed 19.2 points per game and 226.2 passing yards per game. Both corners are only entering their junior year and are expected to continue to improve, but White stands out as a defensive back who can turn into one of the best in the conference if not the country.
2023 Outlook
“I definitely feel I’m the best in the country”, White said at the ACC media day. He is extremely confident but is not the only person who thinks that he has the potential to be one of the best in the FBS. While any player would want to consistently improve on their previous seasons, White has some serious work to do if he wants to do better than what he’s already done. White himself claimed that he wants to “replicate last season”, and that would more than likely be enough. The Wolfpack defensive backs have a lot of depth and many experienced players such as White and Battle. If White manages to go two straight seasons without allowing a touchdown, it will be hard to say that he isn’t the best corner in the country. Being on the Jim Thorpe Award watchlist does mean that White is aware of the heightened expectations, but his confidence indicates that he is up to the challenge.
The Wolfpack will need another stellar campaign from White if they want to compete in the ACC. The 2023 schedule includes matchups against Sam Hartman at Notre Dame, Cade Klubnik at Clemson, and Drake Maye at UNC. In order for the Wolfpack to slow down some of the better signal callers in the country, White will almost certainly be tasked with locking down an opponent’s best receiver every week. He is also the only member of the Wolfpack on the preseason All-ACC team. White will also have to step up as a leader. The unit is fairly young and will need White’s veteran presence to ensure that the defense can keep powerful offenses in check.
Last Word on White
White absolutely has the potential to be one of the best corners in the country. While it is a tall order, his performance last year shows just how game-changing he can be. If White does have a similar or better season to his 2022 campaign, he will climb very quickly up NFL draft boards. More importantly, for the Wolfpack, a stellar performance from White will put them in the best position to compete against the high-powered offenses around the ACC.
