Running back Rachaad White has known quarterback Jayden Daniels a long time, way before Commanders fans keyed on him prior to the 2024 NFL draft. The relationship began before his two LSU campaigns turned Daniels into a household name.
It started in 2020, after White transferred to Arizona State from a California junior college. Daniels had starred for the Sundevils a year prior, and White quickly saw something in the young signal caller.
“I tell everyone this all the time. He’s just special,” White
said in a press conference Wednesday after a Commanders training camp practice. “I knew that after I came into ASU, when I saw him move and throw the ball around, when I saw him in big games and how he came down in the clutch and won it for us.
“To see how poised he is all the time – he just stays level-headed and even keeled. He has different things that (not everyone has). That’s what makes him unique. He has obviously matured since we were together in college but, other than that, how he handles and goes about his business, how he’s up early and how he attacks the day and always talks about football, football, football. That’s how he’s the same way (he has always been).”
White has said a few time now that Daniels is the best quarterback he has ever played with. The Arizona State experience told him so, as did Daniels performance in the NFL.
“He’s talented, but he can also apply himself,” White said. “I’ve seen him come through in the clutch so many times for us (at Arizona State). The same thing with his rookie year. He may have been banged up last year but, in the games he play, y’all were in those games. When you have a guy like that, and he’s so talented and the way he makes an impact, you’re going to be in every game.”
Washington learned that in 2024, when Daniels was excellent in close games especially. He had four fourth-quarter comebacks and the Commanders were 8-4 in one-score games.
White was starring in Tampa Bay at the time, but paid attention to Daniels’ meteoric rise. When free agency arrived and Washington showed interest, White jumped at the chance to reunite with his college teammate.
The chemistry reformed quickly, picking up from a 2021 Arizona State season where both guys were awesome. Daniels has 2,380 passing yards and 10 touchdowns (and 10 picks), while White had 1,006 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns, plus another 456 receiving yards.
Daniels has targeted White a ton already, so the trust is already there. White is well versed on how to keep it going.
“Everything with the quarterback starts with trust,” White said. “Him knowing that I know the play and I’ll be there in the right spot. He knows he can trust me to make something shake if he drops it down to me.”
White’s joining a quality running back room where competition will sort out reps and roles.
We discussed Bill Croskey Merritt on Tuesday, including his emphasis on improving receiving skill. White’s solid on third-down but can run inside, which makes them an enticing duo atop the depth chart.
The carry/target breakdown will be influenced by this training camp and preseason, but also by matchups. Expect both guys to be heavily involved, even if neither guy sees many in-game touches.
“The guys in the room (overall) do a lot of great things from the aspect of working on their game,” White said. “Bill has done a lot of things to work on his pass game and catch the ball well and working on his routes. …All of us in the room can do good things. It’s great to have everybody in there, competing against each other.”
Will the chemistry between Rachaad White and Jayden Daniels lead to big receiving numbers for the running back? How will the carry split between White and Croskey-Merritt work out? Let us know in the comments below:
