Enai White was seen playing defensive tackle rather than defensive end during Thursday's open practice. The Pennsylvania, Pa. native started training camp with the edge rusher group as he had in the spring. Following Thursday's practice, head coach James Franklin confirmed the recent position change.
"I think long-term, it's his best position in terms of being able to play the game as long as he can," Franklin said to 247Sports. "Whenever you move down a position, you increase the athleticism. He has been as big as 275 pounds without even trying anyway. So it's something that we think can help him and help us."
White came to the Nittany Lions in the spring as a 240-pound defensive end, up only 10 pounds since his freshman year in 2022 largely due to suffering an injury in the midst of his collegiate career. Now almost 40 pounds later, there has yet to be conversation about what he can bring to the team on the edge.
With the weight gain, Franklin hopes that his size can be utilized throughout the defense despite the official position change. Whether it's keeping him on the inside or using him as "a big end" to even out a matchup, White's defensive capabilities should start to shine through and be more noticeable in a more versatile, fitting role.
"We're just trying to put him in the best position to bring value to us and for himself long-term," Franklin said.
This now opens up different possibilities along the perimeter due to his weight transformation and position change. Even if White is used as a big end in some cases, the move nearly confirms that Zuriah Fisher, who was out due to injury in 2024 entirely, will start opposite of Dani Dennis-Sutton. Considering the high-to-low depth Penn State has at defensive end, including Max Granville, Jaylen Harvey, Yvan Kemajou, and Mylachi Williams, moving White to tackle adds a higher level of talent to a group headlined almost exclusively by Zane Durant and makes the defensive line more cohesive.
The redshirt junior transferred from Texas A&M after 2024 with three years of eligibility remaining. White was the No. 4 edge rusher from the class of 2022 and 38th overall prospect. He committed to and played for the Aggies for three seasons. The former defensive end played seven games as a freshman, five as a sophomore, and one as a junior at Texas A&M. He suffered an ACL tear in Oct. 2023 that cut his sophomore season short and kept him out of almost the entirety of 2024 excluding Texas A&M's game against New Mexico State. White posted a career Aggie total of 13 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles.