5. Mike White
The resurgence of Ned Schneebly in Survivor: David vs. Goliath has been nothing short of fascinating. He’s one of the few Goliath players who has a great read of the entire game, knows to make alliances without rustles any feathers, knows to avoid the conflict over which David player to vote out and knows not to look too strategic.
It’s in stark contrast to how Mike White started out the game; aggressively searching for a Hidden Immunity Idol in front of everyone else trying to set up the Goliath shelter. He was playing like the superfan that he is, but has since calmed down, opened up his communication skills and plays more of a facilitator role than a mover or a shaker like Alec has been.
Going forward, it will be interesting to see how Mike carves a path to the end. He has the Rockstars alliance with Nick, who’s already aligned with Christian, who’s already aligned with Gabby, with each of them being the main players in the Strike Force alliance. He’s not too connected with Alec, but is with Alison, although those two are probably closest to each other.
Being that secondary to tertiary role might see Mike orbiting on the outside looking in at the end of the game.