The Scout on TJ White
Prior to White’s commitment, Volquest caught up with Jackson Academy Head Coach David Duggan. Duggan was previously the defensive coordinator at Kent State before returning to Jackson Academy last season.
“TJ has improved a lot,” Duggan said of what has stood out about White at Jackson Academy. “His physicality improved last season. He is a long, explosive athlete. He can really run. His track time a year ago was 11-flat. He plays like that on the football field. He has a great motor. He works really hard in practice, and it carries over to the game field. He has a lot of upside. He was a basketball player until this past year, so he has a lot of growing to do, and I think his ceiling has yet to be reached. His athletic ability and explosiveness are only going to continue to improve.”
“When I got here a year ago, we kind of used him as a hybrid rush backer, so his pass rush skills really improved a lot,” Duggan said of this. “I think those will continue to improve, but now, we are moving him to a position where he is going to be on his feet the entire time. So, I think just his awareness, the way he sees the game, was kind of a natural from a hybrid rush backer, so I think you can see him get more comfortable with that. He has a three-step attack into the ball like I have never seen before. I think once he feels that he can go, you will see him continue to grow. I think the more comfortable he gets with the position at the college level, you will just continue to see growth from him.”
-M Ray