The Washington Commanders added a veteran to their running back room with Rachaad White. Here are five things to know about the newest member of the Commanders' backfield.

1. He had a decorated career prior to playing for Arizona State.

White began his playing career with Center High School in Kansas City, Missouri, and quickly became one of the best prospects in the state. He tallied more than 2,000 all-purpose yards, including 1,325 on the ground, for the Yellowjackets, which earned him All-district and All-league selections as well as a First Team All-State nod. 247Sports listed him as a zero-star recruit, though, so he decided to play at Mt. San Antonio College in California.

White was only at the community college level for two seasons, but what he did was enough to garner attention from bigger programs. He recorded 1,400 total yards of offense, including 1,264 rushing yards, in his sophomore year with 10 touchdowns while averaging 6.4 yards per carry. He was a First Team All-American, which helped him get ranked as a three-star JUCO recruit by ESPN.

White received offers from the University of Tennessee, Akron and UCLA but ultimately chose to play for Arizona State, where he stayed for the final two seasons of his college career.

2. He was one of the best running backs in the conference with the Sun Devils.

White's time with the Sun Devils was unique because of the shortened 2020 season, but he did make the most of his time with the program. He had back-to-back games with at least 130 rushing yards to close out the year, putting him at 420 for the four-game season to go with eight receptions for 151 yards. Though the length of the season itself does require some context, he was the first Arizona State player to lead the team in rushing and receiving yards since 1949.

White had an even bigger impact for the Sun Devils the following season, which was back to a regular allotment of games. He accounted for nearly 31% of the offense's total yards and 35.6% of their total touchdowns with 16 scores. He was the second-highest graded player in the Pac-12 and the second-highest graded running back among FBS players. He rushed for 1,006 yards in his final season with the Sun Devils, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and scoring at least one touchdown in eight of 11 games.

White was projected as a fourth-round pick by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein and received the second-best production score among running backs at the combine. He ended up being taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round as the fourth running back taken off the board.

3. He knows how to protect quarterbacks.

White has a solid reputation as a runner in the NFL. He averages nearly four yards per carry and was 10 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season back in 2023. He had a limited role in 2025 because Bucky Irving joined him in the backfield, but he was still a serviceable part of the Buccaneers' rushing attack.

But there's more to being an NFL running back than carrying the ball. They must know how to pass block, and White is more than willing to do whatever he can to keep quarterbacks upright.

"It boils down to just doing my job, doing what I'm asked to do," White said. "That's a part of my job description ... I think it's important to pass protect because that's my job, and I need to do it at a high level."

White prides himself on being able to fill several roles on the field, and he said several coaches throughout his career have stressed the importance of pass protection for a running back. White took that advice to heart, and it shows up on film. White allowed just six pressures with a 95.2 efficiency rating in 2025 and put up similar numbers in 2024 with a 95.1 rating and seven pressures allowed.

White knows the importance of protecting the quarterback. Not only do they often make the most money on the team, but they play the most influential part in winning games. White wants to be on the field as much as possible, and if that means having to block, he's able to take on the task.

4. He excels at getting yards after contact and the catch.

White has proven himself as a versatile weapon. At his best in 2023, he ranked eighth in scrimmage yards ahead of running backs like Travis Etienne, Bijan Robinson and Derrick Henry. The main reason for that: he doesn't go down easily.

White doesn't break many tackles -- he only has 31 in his entire career -- but he often makes defenses pay for not taking him down earlier. Of his 2,656 rushing yards, 1,143 of them have come after contact.

White is also an effective and reliable pass-catcher, hauling in 205 of his 230 total targets. Most of his routes are short, as he averages just 1.09 yards per route run. However, he also averages 8.7 yards after catch per reception, showing that he knows how to maximize his opportunities in the passing game.

The Commanders needed a weapon like that last season. Their running backs combined for 332 yards on 42 receptions -- a sharp decline from the 564 on 65 receptions in 2024. Assuming White can be the same pass-catcher he has been throughout his career, it would go a long way towards helping Washington get back to having one of the best offenses in the league.

5. He has a close relationship with Jayden Daniels.

In case you haven't heard, White and Daniels spent time together at Arizona State, and White made it clear well before free agency began that he at least liked the idea of playing with Daniels again.

Now they're wearing the same uniform again, and White is excited to be back in the backfield with his best friend.

"We spent a lot of time together and did a lot of things together and still do," White said. "We kept in touch and talked almost every day since he was back in college and I came to the league, so I'm grateful to get an opportunity to play here."

Here's a look at what Arizona State's backfield was like with Daniels and White: the two combined for 2,359 rushing yards in 13 games and went 10-7 in that span. Meanwhile, Daniels was already showing flashes of being a prolific passer, completing 65.4% of his passes for 2,380 yards in 2021. White was one of his favorite targets that year, as the running back caught 43 passes for 456 yards.

Daniels' relationship with White isn't the only reason he's in Washington, but it's certainly an added benefit that Daniels already has a strong connection with him. The Commanders want to make Daniels as comfortable as possible with as many playmakers at his disposal. While we don't know the full extent of White's role, he does satisfy both of those needs.