Colten Bartholomew | Wisconsin State Journal

Former University of Wisconsin football player Nate White has died. 

Details of White’s death have not yet been released. White’s death was confirmed to BadgerExtra by an official at South Dakota State, the program White transferred to in January. White was in Brookings, South Dakota, at the time of his death, the official confirmed.

White, a Milwaukee native, turned 20 earlier this month.

“News of Nate White’s tragic passing has been sad and difficult to comprehend for all of the Wisconsin Badger football family,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said in a statement. “We remember Nate as a friend and teammate and we stand in support of Nate’s family and loved ones.” 

White joined the Badgers as a three-star running back recruit out of Milwaukee Rufus King High School in the Class of 2023. He didn’t play as a freshman and was moved to receiver during his second fall in Madison but didn’t see action in 2024. He announced in December he was entering the transfer portal.

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“Jackrabbit football is a brotherhood and today we are all hurting with the shocking news of the loss of Nate White,” SDSU coach Dan Jackson said in a statement from the university. “Nate impacted our program with his hard work, determination and overall positive spirit. We grieve with his family and will honor his memory throughout the upcoming season.”

He was given the nickname “Skinny Back” by players on defense as they played against him on the scout team and coaches raved about his ability to dodge tacklers.

“You can see the confidence that he’s displaying while running the football,” running back coach Devon Spalding said in April 2024. “He’s playing with more physicality. His ability to use his elusiveness is second to none in my opinion.”

White was well-liked around the program, and several Badgers players posted about White’s death on social media.

“This don’t feel right bro,” receiver Trech Kekahuna wrote on Instagram. “Rest easy Nate dawg.”

Heartbreak of a former teammate dying young has struck Wisconsin in recent years.

Former Wisconsin receiver Devin Chandler was one of three Virginia football players murdered by teammate Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. in November 2022. 

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