Zamir White arrived in Athens, Georgia, as an epic running back prospect. He exited Scotland High School in Laurinburg, North Carolina, with 7,169 rushing yards (9.7 yards per carry), an astounding 119 rushing touchdowns, and 34 100-yard rushing games (in 47 games). He also finished sixth in the 100 meters (10.85 seconds) state championship race in track. Per 247Sports, White was a five-star prospect as the No. 1 high school running back in the nation and the ninth overall player in 2018. White built this prodigious resume despite tearing his right ACL in a high school playoff game in 2017. He was dealt another monstrous blow in 2018, tearing his left ACL in a scrimmage.
White recovered in time for the 2019 season, playing 12 games. But with D’Andre Swift (RB – DET) as the lead back, White was only called upon for 78 carries and four targets. He took over the early-down role the next season, while James Cook factored in on early downs and in the passing game. White handled 144 carries while running a route on 24.3% of dropbacks. In 2021, White saw Cook eat into more of his work, as White’s carry total only increased by 16 totes (160) despite playing five more games, and his routes per dropback fell to 21.2%. Cook handled 113 carries with a 37.9% route rate. Projecting White to the NFL, he is likely the two-down hammer component of a committee approach. With a good combine showing in which he rocked the 40-yard dash (4.4, 93rd percentile) and broad jump (128 inches, 94th percentile) but disappointed in the vertical jump (33.5 inches, 37th percentile), he improved his stock. With White as a possible late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick, let’s examine the skill set he’ll add to an NFL franchise.
Zamir White arrived in Athens, Georgia, as an epic running back prospect. He exited Scotland High School in Laurinburg, North Carolina, with 7,169 rushing yards (9.7 yards per carry), an astounding 119 rushing touchdowns, and 34 100-yard rushing games (in 47 games). He also finished sixth in the 100 meters (10.85 seconds) state championship race in track. Per 247Sports, White was a five-star prospect as the No. 1 high school running back in the nation and the ninth overall player in 2018. White built this prodigious resume despite tearing his right ACL in a high school playoff game in 2017. He was dealt another monstrous blow in 2018, tearing his left ACL in a scrimmage.
White recovered in time for the 2019 season, playing 12 games. But with D’Andre Swift (RB – DET) as the lead back, White was only called upon for 78 carries and four targets. He took over the early-down role the next season, while James Cook factored in on early downs and in the passing game. White handled 144 carries while running a route on 24.3% of dropbacks. In 2021, White saw Cook eat into more of his work, as White’s carry total only increased by 16 totes (160) despite playing five more games, and his routes per dropback fell to 21.2%. Cook handled 113 carries with a 37.9% route rate. Projecting White to the NFL, he is likely the two-down hammer component of a committee approach. With a good combine showing in which he rocked the 40-yard dash (4.4, 93rd percentile) and broad jump (128 inches, 94th percentile) but disappointed in the vertical jump (33.5 inches, 37th percentile), he improved his stock. With White as a possible late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick, let’s examine the skill set he’ll add to an NFL franchise.
Zamir White Draft Profile
| Position |
RB |
| School |
Georgia |
| Height |
6’0″ |
| Weight |
214 |
| 40-yard dash |
4.40 |
| Age |
22 |
| Class |
JR |
| Recruit. Stars* |
5 |
* Recruit Stars via 247Sports
2022 Projected Round: Fourth round
Zamir White College Statistics
| Year |
Games |
Rushing attempts |
Rushing yards |
Targets |
Receptions |
Receiving yards |
Total touchdowns |
| 2019 |
12 |
78 |
408 |
4 |
2 |
20 |
3 |
| 2020 |
10 |
144 |
779 |
8 |
6 |
37 |
11 |
| 2021 |
15 |
160 |
856 |
9 |
8 |
72 |
11 |
Zamir White Dynasty Fantasy Analysis
White is a no-nonsense, one-cut downhill runner. He’s quick to diagnose the hole and burst through it. He’s a scheme-versatile back with enough burst and wiggle to operate in a zone-based rushing offense and the decisiveness to also stand out in a power or gap scheme. His plus vision allows him to drain every drop of efficiency from his 65th percentile burst score.
| Among running backs with 100 or more rushing attempts (*Statistics via PFF*): |
| Year |
Yards after contact per attempt (rank) |
Breakaway percentage (rank) |
| 2019* |
3.59 (49th of 176) |
16.9% (169th) |
| 2020 |
2.78 (74th of 95) |
34.9% (54th) |
| 2021 |
3.60 (39th of 170) |
25.0% (138th) |
*78 rushing attempts
At this juncture, White’s contributions will mainly be on the ground, as his receiving skills need improvement. He only saw 21 targets at Georgia, playing only 3.4% of his snaps in the slot or outside. His yards per route run was a paltry 0.58 (per PFF). On the targets I observed, White flashed iffy hands, double-clutching receptions. His limited lateral agility also shows up as a receiver, as he looked stiff on the angle routes I observed.
A team looking to secure White in the draft will enjoy his ability to add a physical element to a rushing attack. He has the power and leg drive to push a pile and pick up tough yards. He has enough lateral agility to make people miss in space, but I wouldn’t consider it his calling card.
When evaluating White’s rushing ability, something to factor in is that he ran behind a stellar offensive line in two of his three seasons at Georgia. Per Football Outsiders, Georgia ranked 11th, 11th, and 26th (out of 130 colleges) in adjusted line yards during his tenure. This isn’t to diminish his resume. It’s adding another layer of context to his results. He posted two strong but not outstanding seasons, with 3.59 and 3.60 Yards after contact per attempt, but he also saw a dip in his efficiency in 2020. This coincides with his film evaluation, as he displayed more burst in his 2019 and 2021 games.
White has enough juice to get what’s blocked and then some, but don’t confuse him with a home run threat at the position. He’s a one-speed runner who lacks a second gear to pull away from defenders. His 4.4 speed doesn’t show up when watching his game tape. His breakaway percentages were abysmal in two of three seasons. Profiling as more of two-down grinder is detrimental for a player with his health history and running style. He’s an upright runner who invites contact, and while he can dish out the hits, this won’t help his NFL shelf life. Since 2020, Georgia only fed him 20+ carries twice. I doubt NFL teams view him as a player they want to feed with 15-20 touches weekly. White could be an effective breather back or spot starter for a stretch with his chain-moving abilities.
Player Comp
Demarco Murray lite without the pass game chops
For as good as DeMarco Murray was, he only finished with 2.45 yards after contact in his NFL career and a 29.2% breakaway percentage (per PFF). White’s health history and passing game limitations will likely cap his ceiling, keeping him from becoming a volume back like Murray.
Landing Spot and Dynasty Outlook
After declining Josh Jacobs’ fifth-year option, the Raiders could enter 2023 with only Zamir White and Brandon Bolden as the only running backs under contract. With fourth-round draft capital, White is worth taking a shot on in the middle rounds of rookie drafts and later in startups. With the profile of an early-down grinder which isn’t nearly as elusive as his former five-star prospect status would have you believe, I wouldn’t be aggressively trading up for him. He’s a dart throw back who could see the field if injuries strike but easily be replaced in 2023 if the team falls in love with a running back prospect.
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