2025 NFL Draft Profile: UNLV WR Ricky White III

Jorge Pola | Mar 26, 2025

Oct 11, 2024; Logan, Utah, USA; UNLV Rebels wide receiver Ricky White III (11) runs with the ball against the Utah State Aggies at Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

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BACKGROUND

Height: 6’1"

Weight: 184 pounds

High School / Previous School: Marietta HS / Michigan State

Hometown: Marietta, GA

Ricky White had a promising start to his college football career in East Lansing, Michigan, where, as a true freshman in 2020, he hauled in 10 receptions for 223 yards and one touchdown. The highlight of his freshman season was a record-setting performance against rival Michigan, where he set the Michigan State freshman record with eight receptions for 196 yards and a touchdown.

After not seeing action during the 2021 season—resulting in a redshirt—White headed west and joined forces with UNLV. He made an immediate impact during the 2022 season, becoming the Rebels’ leading receiver with 51 receptions for 639 yards and four touchdowns.

The 2023 season brought even more accolades, as White began etching his name into the UNLV record books. He set the school’s single-season receiving yards record with 1,314, posted seven 100+ yard receiving games, and tied the single-season receptions record with 88.

White’s upward trajectory continued during his final season in Las Vegas, as he became the first Rebel to record multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He also earned First Team All-Mountain West honors and was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year.

He participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl and the NFL Combine, where he ran a 4.61 40-yard dash, recorded a 36” vertical jump, and posted a 10’3” broad jump. Most recently, on March 24, 2025, White redeemed what many considered a disappointing 40 time at the Combine by running a 4.44 at his Pro Day.

STRENGTHS

Ricky White’s skill set is built to keep him in the NFL for a long time. Along with his prowess as a wide receiver, he was also one of the best special teams players in the country. As mentioned earlier, White was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year — an honor that came as no surprise, considering he was responsible for four blocked punts, two of which led to touchdowns.

As a receiver, White can produce from both the outside and the slot. He’s extremely twitchy, and his ability to suddenly change direction stands out. Combined with his elite stop-and-start ability and deceleration, White is phenomenal at the top of his routes — able to push vertically and then snap off his break instantly, creating significant separation.

Thanks to that, he’s a threat at all three levels of the passing game — from quick game, to intermediate, to deep shots over the top. In the quick game, White often caught bubble screens designed to let him “catch and run,” functioning as an extension of the run game.

In the intermediate range — typically 10 to 20 yards — White thrives by creating separation at the top of routes, not just getting open but also setting himself up to make plays after the catch. His creativity and instincts in the short game are complemented by his ability to win deep. On multiple occasions, White showed the ability to explode off the line, stack defenders, and come down with catches downfield.

With all this versatility, White is the type of receiver who can turn nothing into something. Time and again, he caught the ball well short of the sticks and made multiple defenders miss with his sudden twitch and movement skills. That kind of ability allowed UNLV’s offense to simplify things, knowing they had a dynamic weapon who could extend drives without needing elaborate schemes.

On the first play of the video linked below, we see this in action. Facing a fourth-and-three, White is lined up as the outside receiver at the top of the screen. The San Jose State defense makes its first mistake by giving him too much cushion. He runs a quick hitch, stopping on a dime without drifting upfield — a subtle but critical detail that maximizes his space after the catch. What follows is pure playmaking: White breaks and evades three to four tacklers using a mix of jukes, spins, and subtle jabs on his way to a fourth-down conversion.

WHAT’S NEXT

Ricky White has completed all of his pre-draft activities after helping his profile at UNLV's Pro Day. He now awaits the 2025 NFL Draft, which will take place from April 24 to April 26.

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