Gamecock signee, top JUCO running back clears last academic hurdle to enroll
Zaquandre White’s wait is over. The No. 1 junior college running back in the country cleared his final academic hurdle and can enroll at the University of South Carolina.
The school confirmed White, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound runner out of Iowa Western Community College, has been cleared academically. The Cape Coral, Florida product told The State he will arrive on campus on Saturday.
He finished up his final JUCO class last week, but had to wait over the weekend for some final assignments to be processed.
White took a winding road to Columbia. He was a four-star prospect and top-150 recruit when he signed with Florida State in 2017.
He redshirted as a freshman for Jimbo Fisher’s final team. The Willie Taggart staff moved him to linebacker as it returned Cam Akers and Jacques Patrick in 2018. White transferred after that season.
He landed at Iowa Western Community College, where he ran for 876 yards and 10 touchdown in eight games. That included 245 yards against Iowa Central Community College and five 100-yard games.
“He originally played at North Fort Myers for Earnest Graham, a guy I know extremely well and have a lot of respect for,” South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said on National Signing Day. “(Graham) thinks a lot of ZaQuandre as a running back.
“(White) went through the coaching change with coach Fisher, went to coach Taggart and when you have those transitions you lose really good football players.”
Muschamp said he spoke to Fisher about White’s athleticism and upside.
White is one of three backs in USC’s 2020 class, alongside top-50 national recruit MarShawn Lloyd and three-star Rashad Amos. White is the No. 19 junior college player in the country.
The Gamecocks have had a few close calls and a few misses when it came to taking kids who had academic ground to make up. Last season, four-star defensive tackle Jaquaze Sorrells didn’t make it to campus last year, and the summer before, Tyquan Johnson didn’t make it in (he went to prep school and ultimately made it in).
Other players, including Keisean Nixon ended up enrolling later, either close to camp or after it started. Cam Smith and Traevon Kenion also had to delay enrollments because of academic situations, but both were set to be spring enrollees (Kenion arrived in mid-spring, Smith in the summer).
This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 9:20 AM.
