Ricky White III WR UNLV | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Ricky White III WR UNLV
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/10/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.61 seconds (15%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | |
| Last Updated: 03/10/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.61 seconds (15%*) | |
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 82.2 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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71% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 108.0 | |
| Hands: |
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68% |
| Short Receiving: |
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78% |
| Intermediate Routes: |
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84% |
| Deep Threat: |
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84% |
| Blocking: |
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65% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
6th
Overall Rank:
#196
Position rank:
#26
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| College Games: 43 College Snaps: 2448 | ||
ESPN RATING: 77/100
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247 RATING: 88/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.8 (95%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jalen McMillan - Washington |
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86% |
| Tre Turner - Virginia Tech |
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86% |
| Jaivon Heiligh - Coastal Carolina |
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85% |
Draft Profile: Bio
After flashing brilliance as a Michigan State freshman in 2020 Ricky White III– torching rival Michigan for a freshman-record 196 yards – his career path detoured through a redshirt season before he sought greener pastures at UNLV. The Georgia native's decision to head west paid immediate dividends with his eye-popping 8-catch, 182-yard, 2-touchdown debut against Idaho State in 2022, foreshadowing the explosion to come.White's ascension reached rarified air in 2023 when he shattered UNLV's four-decade-old receiving yards record and tied the school mark with 88 receptions. The Marietta High School product became just the second Rebel receiver in program history to earn AP All-America honors. What truly separates White's resume, however, is his unprecedented versatility – while establishing himself as college football's leading returning receiver with 1,483 yards in 2023, he simultaneously terrorized opposing special teams units as a punt-blocking savant in 2024, recording four blocks (more than any FBS team) and earning Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year honors.
His senior campaign cemented his legacy as the only player in UNLV history with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons. The former four-star Rivals recruit (who transferred from Michigan State alongside his high school quarterback Harrison Bailey) punctuated his collegiate career by racking up back-to-back 10-reception games against Syracuse and Fresno State. Most impressively, White achieved this production while maintaining academic excellence – earning Academic All-District honors, making the UNLV Dean's Honor List, and completing his bachelor's degree in human services while working toward a graduate certificate.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Spatial awareness against zone coverage jumps off the tape – manipulates his route tempo and finds soft spots with veteran instincts that can't be taught.
- Deceleration skills are exceptional – can slam on the brakes and create instant separation on comeback routes that leave corners grasping at ghosts.
- Special teams value is off the charts – blocked four punts in 2024 alone, turning two into touchdowns, while also showing juice as a gunner.
- Route tree diversity goes beyond his years – shows technical savvy running everything from deep posts to option routes underneath.
- Football IQ shines when plays break down – works back to his quarterback with urgency and creates late passing windows for scrambling signal-callers.
- Footwork at the top of routes is clinical – creates subtle head fakes and shoulder dips that defenders bite on consistently.
- Short-area quickness compensates for average long speed – initial burst off the line and acceleration after the catch consistently surprises defenders.
- Production across all field areas proves versatility – consistently wins at all three levels and shows particular courage working the middle.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Lacks necessary play strength at just 184 pounds – physical corners knock him off balance and disrupt timing too easily at the line.
- Hand fighting technique needs significant refinement – struggles to disengage from press coverage and gets rerouted too frequently.
- Drop issues persist on film with 24 across four seasons – concentration lapses appear when anticipating contact over the middle.
- Contested catch situations expose his slender frame – defenders with length and physicality can outmuscle him at the catch point.
- Long speed won't threaten NFL secondaries – 4.61 forty means he'll need technical refinement rather than pure athleticism to separate.
Scouting Report: Summary
The team that drafts White needs to understand exactly what they're getting – a technician who wins with craftiness rather than overwhelming physical traits. His ceiling will be determined by landing with a creative offensive coordinator who can deploy him from multiple alignments and scheme him away from press coverage. Think of a poor man's Keenan Allen who compensates for athletic limitations with route precision and football I.Q.White projects as an immediately impactful special teams contributor who can work his way into WR3/4 duties early in his career. His feel for finding soft spots in zone coverage makes him particularly valuable in offenses that emphasize timing and rhythm in the short-to-intermediate passing game. Teams like Green Bay, Los Angeles Rams, and Minnesota would maximize his talents by using pre-snap motion to give him free releases and creating favorable matchups against linebackers and safeties.
While he may lack the physical ceiling of some receivers in this class, don't be shocked if White outperforms his draft position (likely Day 3) through sheer savvy and versatility. Smart offensive coordinators will recognize his field smarts and leverage his ability to work all three levels, particularly as a safety valve who consistently understands how to settle into open spaces. Add in his game-changing special teams potential, and you've got a prospect offering immediate value with room to develop into a reliable secondary receiving option.
Written By:
Wyatt Brooks
Ricky White III percentiles vs other Wide Receivers (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Ricky White III (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
210.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
30.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.