Seahawks 90-Man Rundown: Ricky White III Determined to Silence Skeptics in New-Look WR Corps
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Seattle Seahawks rookie receiver Ricky White III reels in a catch during a drill at mandatory minicamp at the VMAC. Credit: Ricky White III/Instagram [/caption]
With their offseason program all wrapped up, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC on July 23, meaning the start of the upcoming season will be here before fans have a chance to blink.
In preparation for year number two under coach Mike Macdonald, I’ll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, dishing out fun facts, exploring best and worst case scenarios, and predicting what to expect from each player entering the 2025 campaign.
A punt blocking guru with an exciting resume as a receiver coming out of UNLV, will Ricky White’s previous success against Group of 5 competition pave the way for similar success right away in the NFL?
Ricky White III
Height/Weight: 6-0, 184 pounds
2024 Stats: 79 receptions, 1,041 yards, 11 touchdowns
A standout at Marietta High School in Georgia, White initially began his college career at Michigan State, spending two seasons in East Lansing with 10 catches for 233 yards as a true freshman in 2020. After redshirting in 2021, he transferred to UNLV and immediately emerged as the Runnin’ Rebels top pass catcher. After catching 51 passes in 2022, he surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in his final two seasons with the program. Though drops were an issue for him earlier in his career, he improved steadily in that area at UNLV, finishing with drop rates under 8.5 percent in 2023 and 2024 while scoring 19 touchdowns and producing more than 1,000 yards after the catch.
White also starred on special teams after relocating to Las Vegas, blocking four punts during his college career and returning a punt for a touchdown on just four return attempts during his senior season. Guiding UNLV to a double-digit win season with 11 touchdown receptions, he received an invite to the East West Shrine Bowl and participated in the all-star showcase before being selected by the Seahawks with a seven-round selection. Along with being in the mix for reps in a revamped receiving corps in Seattle, as evidenced in his first offseason program, the team will give him an extended look as a kick and punt return option along with other special teams opportunities in training camp.
Fun Fact: Creating nightmares for opposing special teams coordinators, White’s four blocked punts in 2024 ranked first in the entire FBS, leading to him being named Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year.
Best Case Scenario: Endearing himself to the coaching staff, the scrappy White shows off his toughness not only reeling in contested catches but as an underrated blocker in the run game for his size, carving out a role for himself as a reserve receiver for the Seahawks with a strong preseason while being a major contributor on numerous special teams units.
Worst Case Scenario: Struggling to separate against NFL cornerbacks without ideal athletic juice, White endures a relatively quiet training camp and preseason as other receivers on the roster jump ahead of him on the depth chart, leading to his release with a return to the practice squad for further development.
What to Expect in 2025: Based on his production for a UNLV program that hasn’t been known for success on the football field, both on offense and special teams, the Seahawks may have potentially found a gem in the seventh round in White. Though he has a thin, wiry frame, he plays much bigger than that size in all aspects, capable of slipping through tackles after the catch or as a return man, winning jump balls as a downfield target, and getting after it doing the dirty work as a blocker. His prowess as a special teams demon also is well-documented and coach Jay Harbaugh will be eager to plug him onto as many units in that stage of the game as possible right away.
If there’s a reason to be skeptical of White making much noise on offense, at least as a rookie, he ran the 40-yard dash in the low 4.6 range at the NFL combine. This created reasonable questions about whether or not he had the speed and explosiveness for his production in the Mountain West to translate to the league, and training camp will provide the first real chance to see if those concerns are valid or not. He also has several established veterans ahead of him on the depth chart along with capable players such as Cody White, Steven Sims Jr., and Dareke Young competing against him for reps. His special teams talents will be a major benefit as he pursues a roster spot, but whether or not he can find a way to pitch in on offense holds the key.
