Poised For Greatness: John Henry White
Reigning Freshman of the Year, John Henry White returns as MC's starting quarterback. White and his coaches set high goals for the season ahead.
With the 2023 football season starting back up, the Choctaws look to build off of the momentum from last season. A majority of this momentum came from Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year, John Henry White, who returns as the starting quarterback.
White is a redshirt freshman from Amite, Louisiana. He put up 834 yards on the ground last year and 301 yards in the air, with seven total touchdowns and a passer rating of 120.
The reigning Freshman of the Year had high praise from his head coach John Bland about his ability, but more importantly, his character and leadership.
“He is a tough kid, strong kid, and one of our leaders,” said Bland, “Off the field as well. [He is a] 4.0 student. He is unbelievable, and he has got a lot of respect from his teammates.”
Under new offensive coordinator Courtland Hays, both Bland and White are excited to see what the offense can do.
“We have incorporated a lot of new air raid stuff into the offense,” said White, “Be ready to see a good balance of pass and run in that first game Thursday against Keiser. I am pretty excited to see where [Hays] takes us.”
With the new offense this year, White knew he had some adjustments to make in the spring and summer.
“This offseason, I focused a lot on my passing and pocket presence,” White said, “Last year, I felt I lacked a lot if we got in third [downs] and long situations. A lot of the time, I tried to make the play with my feet, but this year I want to stay in the pocket, be confident, and just deliver a good ball.”
At the Gulf South Conference Media Day, Coach Bland talked about how much work the young quarterback has put in over the spring and summer. Though White was a solid passer last year, he has taken the proper steps needed to grow into what Bland described as a “full quarterback” who can run and throw the ball.
With both Bland and Hays wanting to spread the field and throw the ball more, higher quarterback expectations add a new challenge to what already is one of the most difficult positions in sports. White embraces the challenge though, desiring to win Offensive Player of the Year and help the Choctaws have their first winning season since 2009.
The Choctaws, led by White, start the season at Keiser University on Thursday, Aug. 31.
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