Auburn football: HS QB Walker White sets visit with Auburn

We have spoken in the last week or so on what Auburn football might do with the the quarterback room. We may have some clarification in the coming weeks and months. While incumbents Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner certainly have a right to compete for the 2023 job, Hugh Freeze isn’t going to stand by and watch the QB room continue to be short of talent.

With that trend expected to continue, one of the top high school quarterback targets, Walker White, has officially set his first visit to Auburn. White, a 4-star recruit out of Arkansas, has previously expressed interest in Auburn after the hiring of Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery.

Walker White on tape

The tape on White is pretty impressive. Everything that Freeze and Montgomery want from a quarterback, he has to offer. Arm strength to all parts of the field with accuracy, and enough mobility to keep plays moving is the new prototype Auburn quarterback.

When watching White’s tape against Shiloh Christian, he regularly zips passes to the perimeter from the opposite hash. This is stereotypically the throw that makes or breaks top-tier QBs. We saw Trevor Lawrence have no issue to do so at Clemson, and he has shown that same ability this season at Jacksonville in Doug Pederson’s high powered west coast offense. While White is not Lawrence from a prospect standpoint, he is certainly plenty talented in his own right.

Another reason for why White is a top prospect for Auburn is his underrated mobility. White, much like former Auburn starting QB Jarrett Stidham, is no track star. But he likely can run in the 4.7 range and extend plays while also keeping on the occasional zone read. That last aspect will be crucial, as Freeze’s QBs have traditionally been either 1st or 2nd on his teams in rushing attempts.

Walker White’s fit with Auburn football

As mentioned earlier, Auburn QBs will likely not have the mold of Nick Marshall. They likely will not have the mold of Sean White. And they likely will not have the mold of TJ Finley. Big-armed QBs with mobility are going to be the new mold. While this seems like something every team would do, it is the mold of QBs under both Freeze and Montgomery. Robert Griffin III, Nick Florence, Bryce Petty, Bo Wallace, Chad Kelly, and Malik Willis all had adequate to surplus arm strength and the same amount of mobility.

While Auburn does have a 2024 QB commit in Adrian Posse, many have speculated that they would like at least one more high school commit going forward. This recruitment is going to be one to watch VERY closely, especially if the Auburn offense shows improvement this season.