Tennessee receiver Squirrel White has some extra motivation this season. There’s another mouth to feed in the den.
As the junior heads into what could be a career-defining season, any success that White has in 2024 will be shared with his son, who was born in April. To say White was ecstatic during his visit with the media this week would be an understatement.
“It’s going to be amazing, just to see him,” White said when asked what it would be like to share a football moment in Neyland with his newborn son. “After I score, I wanna be able to lay my eyes on him and just give him a kiss. Stuff like that. And after the game, I wanna see him crawl around him on the field, with him crawling around and stuff like that.
“Even on the Vol Walk, have a little handshake, dab him up and stuff like that. Give him a hug and kiss.”
White is ready to soak it all in. He knows what to expect after being one of the most ballyhooed freshman of his class in 2022. White, partly because of his first name, was destined for stardom. While he’s been a strong contributor, White still hasn’t reached star status.
Although not as life-altering as having a baby, White has had a busy offseason, which included changing his jersey number from 10 to three, which he said was always his preference, partly, because it is his father’s favorite number. Credit White for being there even when things aren’t going grand. He started all 13 games and was Tennessee’s most productive receiver last season despite some offensive woes along the way.
White has flourished under two Tennessee quarterbacks: Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton. Now, it’s time for some guy named Nico Iamaleava that has gotten a good bit of off-season publicity to take the helm for the Vols at quarterback.
“I got a lot of confidence in him, man,” White said. “Just the growth that he did since he got here, and just him being calm. I know that he’s gonna lead us well.”
White took it upon himself to become a better blocker during the offseason. That could be a challenge considering he’s just 5-foot-10 and 167 pounds.
“I feel like last season I didn’t do a very good job of blocking, but this spring, I hone in on trying to block very good and stuff like that in the run game. And so I think that’s, yeah, what I’ve improved on.”
With that extra mouth to feed, White is surely hoping this is a productive season. Whether it’s more NIL money or going to the NFL, this is practically a contract season for the likeable receiver with a big smile.
