Former UNLV wideout Ricky White (WO47) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

UNLV’s Ricky White Projected To Make Seahawks Roster, Carve Out Long-Term NFL Role

Originally posted on UNLV Rebels on SI
By Mark Morales-Smith | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 4:37 PM ET

Back in April, wide receiver Ricky White III became the first UNLV Rebels football player selected in the NFL Draft since 2010 when he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round. However, the hard work really starts after that. Being that he was a seventh-round pick, he is far from guaranteed a roster spot in Seattle or on any team, for that matter. However, we have been projecting him to secure a spot on Seattle's 53-man roster all offseason. Both his ability as a receiver and a special-teams asset should make him a valuable contributor in the NFL. G5 Football Daily On SI took it a step further when evaluating White III and projected that he will not only make the team, but have a long, sustained NFL career.

G5 Football Daily on SI's Take:

"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.

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."

We agree with all of this and have been saying the same thing since the draft process began. White III's special-teams ability will secure his roster spot and allow him to showcase his talent as a wide receiver. It may take a year, but once the Seahawks see what he can do on the field, he'll gain more significant playing time on the offensive side of the ball. No one should be surprised when he develops into a key contributor in the Seahawks' offense.