Former UNLV Rebels Turned NFL Rookies, Ricky White III, Jackson Woodard, and Johnathan Baldwin, Wrap Up Preseason

The former UNLV Rebels football stars turned NFL rookies wrapped up their first NFL Preseasons this weekend. Wide receiver Ricky White III, linebacker Jackson Woodard, and defensive back Johnathan Baldwin have now all made their case to make their team's 53-man rosters with final cuts coming this Tuesday. All three saw the field this weekend, and we're going to recap each player's performance.

WR Ricky White III, Seattle Seahawks

With White III very much on the roster bubble, he didn't have the breakout performance we were hoping to see. He came away catching just one pass for six yards in this game. Despite being the reigning Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year and becoming the first Rebel selected in the NFL Draft since 2010, he hasn't shown much this preseason on either special teams or offense. There is still a chance he makes the Seattle Seahawks as a special teamer; however, there is also a good chance he finds himself looking for a new team after Tuesday's cuts. The practice squad is also a possibility.

LB Jackson Woodard, Houston Texans

Woodard had two tackles and a pass deflection in the Houston Texans' final preseason game. While he didn't show a lot this summer on the stat sheet, he did look better than expected in coverage throughout the entire preseason. That was expected to be his biggest weakness, and it didn't appear to be an issue from what we saw. The former Mountain West Player of the Year also finds himself on the roster bubble as we head into Tuesday's final roster cuts. Houston could also opt to add him to their practice squad if they cut him and he clears waivers

DB Johnathan Baldwin, Green Bay Packers

It looks like Baldwin is locked onto the Packers' 53-man roster. We would be very surprised if they ended up cutting him on Tuesday. They have had a clear plan for him since signing him as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft. Green Bay gave him more guaranteed money than their seventh-round pick and changed his position designation from safety to cornerback. We saw him play all over the field in the preseason, and he was in the game early in Week 3. He finished the game with four tackles, but more importantly, his usage points to him not only making the roster, to potentially having a role on their defense as a rookie.