FRISCO, TEXAS — It’s not often that a dominant collegiate wide receiver, one that has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume and a first-team All-Conference accolade would have a prominent role on special teams, especially as a gunner and a guy that rushes off the edge on punt returns.
But that’s what UNLV wide receiver Ricky White III (6004, 179) brings to the table ahead of the NFL pre-draft process.
During his time in Las Vegas, White was a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver, putting up two 1,000-yard seasons for the Runnin’ Rebels after transferring from Michigan State. In the process of being a great receiver in the Mountain West, White was also an impactful special teams weapon, blocking four punts in his tenure.
In the 2024 season, he was so impactful on special teams that not only did he add a first-team All-Mountain West accolade as a wide receiver, he was also named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year, taking off under then-UNLV special teams coordinator James Shibest for helping him tap into a mindset of wanting to be on the field at all times, while also teaching him the nuances of what makes a player great on special teams.
“Just my mindset, the passion that I have for the game, the love. Even growing up, like I just, I played every position. I wanted to be on the field,” White said to Steelers Depot regarding his special teams abilities on top of his work as a receiver. “I wanted to help my team win. You know, I won a lot of games growing up in peewee middle school, high school, even college.
“So it’s just a blessing, ’cause I’m just carrying on this mindset for the rest of my life.”
That mindset helped him White block four punts during his time at UNLV. He didn’t return any kicks or punts, so that’s quite telling just how dominant he was making game-changing plays on special teams just by rushing and blocking punts. He also returned one punt block from a teammate for a touchdown, too.
Entering the NFL, he is going to need that special teams prowess to see the field, depending on where he lands. That’s not to say he isn’t an NFL-caliber receiver, either. That’s not the case at all. In fact, he set the standard at wide receiver in the UNLV program, becoming the only player in program history to have two 1,000-yard seasons in his career.
What has helped separate White from others in college, especially at UNLV, has been his ability to understand coverages and read defenses pre-snap, which has allowed him to win time and time again.
“The strengths of my game, I would definitely say is my football IQ, pre-snap awareness. I’m very smart academically and in football. I just know what’s going on a lot,” White said of what makes him successful as a wide receiver. “I’m very fast, great hands, I know how to make a move on guys after the catch. I can turn a short yardage catch into a home run. I would definitely say those are my strengths, and something I want to work on is separation overall, my technique, just being an overall better receiver.
“You can always work on your game as a receiver, becoming a better receiver. I watched a lot of tape on Justin Jefferson. Devante Adams, Amari Cooper. Those guys I feel are great, tremendous receivers. Those are somebody you want to look up to as an up and coming rookie receiver going into the league, ’cause you know, they have done so much at the game at the next level.”
Those are three great receivers to watch and study and try to take stuff from their game to better himself entering the NFL.
Fortunately for White, he’s got a great foundation to work with entering the next level. And if there’s one game White would suggest to put on for fans to get a feel for exactly who White is as a player, that would the be Syracuse game in 2024.
That game? Well, White hauled in 10 passes for 136 yards and a score. Oh, and he blocked two punts in the game, too.
Hopefully White is doing that quite a bit at the next level, too.
