White played in a reserve role his true freshman season, behind Josh Heupel, the Sooners' starting quarterback.

White continued to start the following games for the Sooners including a showdown with Nebraska, featuring the top two teams in the BCS for the second consecutive year.

During the second quarter, White injured his ACL while completing a long pass to running back Quentin Griffin, ending his season.

White would again be out for the season and Hybl led the team to a Big 12 championship and a victory over Washington State in the 2003 Rose Bowl game, being named MVP.

[5] He was again a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2004, trying to become just the second player after Archie Griffin to win the honor twice, but instead finished third behind his Sooner backfield mate, runner-up Adrian Peterson, and winner Matt Leinart.

White and Peterson led the Sooners to another national championship game, the Orange Bowl, in 2004, but lost 55–19 to Leinart's USC Trojans.

Eventually, the Tennessee Titans signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2005 for two years, but White decided not to attempt to play, citing weak knees from previous injuries.

[13] He also worked with insurance agent Steve Owens, another former Sooner Heisman Trophy winner and former athletic director at the University of Oklahoma.

In 2007, a bronze statue of White was dedicated on the University of Oklahoma campus in Heisman Park, commemorating his 2003 award.